Russia, Iran To Sign Memorandum On Free Trade Zones In Anzali, Chabahar Ports - Official

TEHRAN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th June, 2023) Tehran and Moscow plan to sign a memorandum on establishing free economic zones in the Iranian seaports of Anzali and Chabahar, as well as in Moscow and the Russian port of Lotus in the Astrakhan Region, Hojatollah Abdolmaleki, the secretary of the Iranian Supreme Council of Free Trade-Industrial and Special Economic Zones, told Sputnik.

"We are in fact talking about cooperation between the four economic zones, with two of them located in Iran and two others in Russia. We have already concluded preliminary agreements in this field. We will pay a visit to Russia soon and start the final negotiations to sign the memorandum," Abdolmaleki said.

Iran and Russia have long been interacting on the issue of special economic zones, Abdolmaleki said, adding that Russian entrepreneurs were interested in working on free economic zones both in Anzali, located near the Caspian Sea in northern Iran, and in Chabahar, located in southern Iran on the coast of the Arabian Gulf, with a view to using them for goods transportation via the International North-South Transport Corridor from the Indian Ocean.

"Iran is also interested in working with Russian special economic zone Lotos and the economic zone in Moscow," the Iranian official added.

Abdolmaleki noted that Tehran had already allowed Russian businessmen to build warehouses in the Anzali port and expressed confidence that the transportation routes would not only ensure the delivery of Russian goods at lower prices, but also strengthen bilateral trade, increase investment in the area and make both transit lines prosperous.