TEHRAN- Iranian Minister of Agriculture, referring to the necessity of developing cooperation in maritime transport and utilizing the port capacities of Iran and Russia, said: "Implementing the 'BRICS Grain Exchange' requires the support and backing of Russia as a BRICS member country, neighbor, and strategic partner."

According to IRNA from the Ministry of Agriculture, Gholamreza Nouri Ghezeljeh on Saturday, on the sidelines of the BRICS agriculture ministers' meeting in Indore, India, met with Russia's Deputy Minister of Agriculture and emphasized the need to expand bilateral cooperation in agricultural trade and exchanges, as well as implementing joint projects within the BRICS framework.

In this meeting, the Minister of Agriculture expressed gratitude for the positions of the Russian government and high-ranking officials, especially their support and condolences regarding recent aggressions against Iran.

He also thanked Russia for supporting Iran's positions during the BRICS agricultural negotiations and the cooperation of the two countries in drafting the final statement of the meeting, saying: "I appreciate Russia's accompaniment and support in advancing the innovative 'BRICS Grain Exchange' project."

Nouri Ghezeljeh, emphasizing the importance of continued Iran-Russia cooperation in the supply of basic commodities, said: "Cooperation between the two countries in supplying basic commodities must be strengthened, and potential financial and banking obstacles between the two countries must be removed."

* BRICS Grain Exchange and development of port cooperation

The Minister of Agriculture further emphasized the need to create effective financial and banking mechanisms to facilitate agricultural trade and supply of basic commodities, adding: "The central banks of the two countries should play a more active role in facilitating payments and commercial exchanges and supporting entrepreneurs. To this end, technical and financial cooperation between the relevant bodies of the two countries to facilitate trade in agricultural products and basic commodities must be pursued more seriously."

Referring to the necessity of developing cooperation in maritime transport and utilizing the port capacities of the two countries, he said: "Implementing the BRICS Grain Exchange requires the support and backing of Russia as a BRICS member country, neighbor, and strategic partner."

* Development of Russia-Iran agricultural cooperation within BRICS framework

In this meeting, Nouri Ghezeljeh, welcoming Iran's active role in the BRICS Grain Exchange initiative, emphasized his country's readiness for closer cooperation in grain trade and development of joint mechanisms within the BRICS framework.

He emphasized the development of bilateral cooperation with Iran and the implementation of joint projects within the BRICS framework, saying: "We welcome Iran's active role in the BRICS Grain Exchange initiative and we are fully prepared for closer cooperation in grain trade and development of joint mechanisms within the BRICS framework."

The Russian Deputy Minister of Agriculture, stressing the importance of strategic relations between Tehran and Moscow, announced: "His country is ready to expand its agricultural cooperation with Iran both within the BRICS framework and bilaterally."

He stated: "Russia is ready to develop the utilization of port capacities and maritime transport lines and facilitate the export and import of agricultural products."

The Russian Deputy Minister of Agriculture, emphasizing the need to develop cooperation between Iranian and Russian companies, said: "We will try to remove logistical cooperation obstacles in transport corridors and increase the volume of agricultural trade between the two countries."

In this meeting, the two sides emphasized the continuation of consultations and strengthening of economic and agricultural cooperation between the two countries and agreed that technical and financial cooperation between the relevant bodies of the two countries to facilitate trade in agricultural products and basic commodities should be pursued more seriously.

The BRICS member countries' agriculture ministers' meeting was held for two days (June 12-13) in Indore city, Madhya Pradesh state, India.

In February, Customs delegations from Iran and Russia met in Tehran to expand training cooperation and facilitate customs clearance and supervision procedures, officials said.

The meeting was held within the framework of the mutual administrative assistance agreement in customs matters between the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) and the Federal Customs Service of Russia.

Hassan Alidousti, acting deputy for planning and international affairs at IRICA, along with senior managers and representatives from specialized offices, attended the talks.

Discussions focused on strengthening existing interactions, advancing educational cooperation and simplifying customs formalities and oversight mechanisms to support bilateral trade.

The two sides also held technical consultations on enhancing operational coordination and drafting a practical roadmap to further develop customs cooperation, following periodic meetings of the heads of customs administrations and prior expert-level negotiations.

In an exclusive interview with the Tehran Times on February 17, Russian Energy Minister Sergey Tsivilyov underscored Moscow’s dedication to expanding trade and energy cooperation with Iran. The remarks came before the conclusion of the 19th meeting of the Iran-Russia Joint Economic Committee, which was hosted by Terran.

Meanwhile, on June 11,  Iran and Russia signed a tourism cooperation action plan covering the period from 2026 to 2028 during the sixth International Tourism Forum that was held from June 10 to 12 in Moscow.

The agreement was signed by Hojatollah Ayyoubi, senior adviser to Iran's minister of cultural heritage, tourism and handicrafts and head of the ministry's center for international affairs and diplomacy, and Dmitry Vakhrukov, Russia's deputy minister of economic development, following bilateral talks between the two sides, Tasnim news agency reported on Friday.

According to the officials, the three-year roadmap is aimed at addressing obstacles to tourism cooperation, implementing previous agreements and reviving the joint tourism committee between the two countries.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Ayyoubi said discussions with Russia's deputy ministers of economic development and culture had created favorable conditions for expanding cooperation in tourism and cultural fields.

"Iran and Russia, through the signing of this cooperation roadmap, seek to remove obstacles to the implementation of previous agreements and open a new chapter in bilateral tourism cooperation," Ayyoubi said.

He added that both countries possess significant tourism resources and that Russian officials had demonstrated a strong willingness to expand tourism ties despite what he described as a historical delay in the development of travel exchanges between the two nations.

Vakhrukov, for his part, said the memorandum constituted the latest operational plan guiding tourism cooperation between Iran and Russia over the next three years and addressed key issues related to bilateral tourism exchanges.

He said the agreement focuses on measures to facilitate travel by Russian tourists to Iran and Iranian tourists to Russia, including improvements in payment systems, visa procedures and flight connectivity.

"With the signing of this memorandum, we now know exactly what steps need to be taken to develop tourism relations with Iran," Vakhrukov said. He added that Russia was prepared for tourism flows between the two countries to increase once regional conditions stabilize.

The agreement was signed at the conclusion of bilateral negotiations between the Iranian and Russian delegations.

During the meeting, both sides stressed the importance of facilitating financial transactions for travelers and called for the full implementation of existing monetary agreements between the two countries. They also emphasized enabling tourists to make payments using bank cards connected to Iran's Shetab network and Russia's Mir payment system.

MA