TEHRAN - The European Union’s trade with Iran amounted to €9.11 billion in the first nine months of 2016, a 63 percent rise year on year, based on the latest figures released by the European Union's statistics agency Eurostat.

The figure was €5.577 billion during January-September 2015.

During the first nine months of 2016, the EU’s exports to Iran increased by 20 percent and reached €5.63 billion, from €4.679 billion in the same period of time in the past year.

Iran’s exports to the EU stood at €3.48 billion from January to September 2016, quadrupling from €898 million during the same time span in 2015.

In mid-April, Iran and the EU issued a joint statement in Tehran setting the road map for cooperation. The statement was released by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini who visited Iran along with seven European commissioners.

The two sides taking stock of their long standing relations, based upon mutual respect and interests, reiterated their intention to develop a broad and comprehensive agenda for bilateral cooperation. 

MA/MG