Baku, Azerbaijan, March 27. A seminar was held
at the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) chaired by Andrei
Slepnyev, EEC Minister for Trade, and Arzybek Kozhoshev, Minister
for Energy and Infrastructure, Trend reports.
The seminar focused on the development of cooperation with Iran
in the areas of transport and logistics, in anticipation of the
upcoming implementation of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between
the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the Islamic Republic of
Iran. The agreement is set to come into force on May 15, 2025.
The seminar brought together representatives from government
bodies, business associations, and transport companies from EAEU
countries that are already operating in Iran or are exploring
logistics opportunities for supply chains to the country.
“We are interested in establishing full-scale cooperation with
Iran as part of the implementation of the Agreement, including in
transport,” emphasized Andrei Slepnyev. “Our partners are ready to
explore opportunities for collaboration within the North-South
International Transport Corridor (ITC), expanding maritime
transport across the Caspian Sea, and participating in the Eurasian
Agroexpress project.”
The goal of the seminar was also to gather proposals from both
businesses and government institutions in order to define specific
practical measures for the implementation of the trade agreement
with Iran.
Arzybek Kozhoshev highlighted the growing importance of
developing supply chains to Iran and improving infrastructure for
access to the Caspian Sea, the Persian Gulf, Central Asia, Africa,
and India, especially in the context of global changes and the
creation of new transport and logistics routes.
The most promising initiatives will be discussed with Iranian
counterparts during the first meeting of the Joint Committee on the
Implementation of the Free Trade Agreement, which is scheduled to
take place in the second half of 2025.