TEHRAN - The minister in charge of trade of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) has said the commission is going to consider Iran’s observer status during the next meeting of the union which is due to be held in Armenian capital Yerevan in late September.

In a phone call with Kazem Jalali, Iran's ambassador in Moscow, Andrey Slepnev said: “In this meeting, several programs have been prepared to introduce Iran's economic and commercial capacities to the member states of the Eurasian Union.”

Slepnev expressed hope that the Islamic Republic’s cooperation with the Eurasian Union will continue at a faster pace.

Jalali also called the Eurasian Union a great opportunity for the region and stated that Iran’s relations with this union will continue and be strengthened under the new government administration as well.

After signing a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Iran has been seeking to gain an observer status in the union.

Back in April Jalali had expressed hope that the free trade agreement, which Iran and the EAEU signed in late December 2023, would be implemented as soon as possible following approval by parliaments of the member states of the EAEU.

He made the remarks at the second International Russia-Iran Cooperation in the Changing World conference, which was held in the presence of a group of Iranian and Russian experts in the Russian capital of Moscow.

The ambassador further referred to the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), noting that this mega-project can be beneficial for EAEU members economically and would help boost security and peace in the region.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Jalali referred to the Israeli regime’s crimes in Gaza, calling them a clear example of injustice, noting that Iran is highly critical of the current world order that is based on unilateralism.

EF/MA