TEHRAN - The Iranian Qeshm island in the Persian Gulf and Russia’s Krasnodar have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish sister- city relationships in a ceremony hosted by the Russian side.

The MOU was signed by Mayor of Qeshm Mirdad Mirdadi, and his Krasnodar counterpart Yevgeny Naumov on Monday evening, IRNA reported.

According to this memorandum, which was signed in the presence of regional officials and the head of the Russian Krasnodar city council, as well as the advisor of the Qeshm Free Zone Organization, these two cities will interact with each other in the fields of construction, education and cultural exchanges.

The mayor of Qeshm emphasized the development of cooperation, referring to close relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation.

Referring to the geographical location of Qeshm as well as being the largest island in the Persian Gulf, Mirdadi noted its potential in playing a role in the North-South corridor that connects Russia to open waters through Iran.

He announced the island's readiness to transport and load goods to Russia on the North-South international route.

This island hosts more than three million domestic and foreign tourists every year, Mirdadi said while highlighting Qeshm's tourist and natural attractions.

The mayor of Krasnodar during the ceremony talked about the potential of cooperation with Qeshm, saying the Iranian island is a free trade zone and also a tourist center, and by relying on these capacities, cooperation with this region can be strengthened in both tourism and construction sectors.

Naumov also spoke about the possibilities of cooperation with Qeshm Island in the field of higher education institutions, continuous exchange of students and participation in commercial and cultural projects.

In April 2024, the mayors of Qeshm and Krasnodar discussed the prospect of bilateral cooperation during a video conference call.

Iran’s Qeshm Free Zone Organization and Dubna Special Economic Zone (SEZ Dubna) of the Russian Federation recently signed a memorandum of understanding to attract mutual investment and enhance infrastructure development.

EF/MA