TEHRAN- The Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade stressed, at the signing of a cooperation memorandum with the member states of Eurasia, the full implementation of the free trade agreement, the removal of trade barriers, and the expansion of transit cooperation.

According to IRNA from the Ministry of Industry, Mining and Trade, Seyyed Mohammad Atabak, on Wednesday evening, at the signing of the memorandum with the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union during the second meeting of the Joint Committee for the Implementation of the Free Trade Agreement between Iran and this union, called for operational follow-up of the agreements, the removal of trade barriers, and maximum use of the capacities of this agreement to develop economic exchanges.

The Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade described transparency in import regulations, timely exchange of statistical information, and the removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers as requirements for fully benefiting from free trade.

He emphasized the necessity of following up on issues related to vehicle recycling fees, access of Iranian cement products to the markets of the union’s member states, and requirements for importing food products, and declared Iran’s readiness to cooperate in examining and removing these barriers.

The Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade further called for turning agreements into specific executive plans with a clear timetable and determining the responsibilities of each party.

He proposed that the secretariats of both sides, by creating a mechanism for continuous monitoring of the implementation of the approvals, present a progress report on measures at the next meeting of the Joint Committee.

The Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade stated: The negotiations held will be constructive and result-oriented, and the summary of the negotiations and approvals in specialized committees should be the basis for regular follow-up of commitments.

He expressed hope that the implementation of the agreements, while facilitating the activity of traders and increasing trade exchanges, would lead to strengthening economic cooperation between Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union and enhancing the position of the parties in regional and international relations.

The second meeting of the Joint Committee for the Implementation of the Free Trade Agreement between Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union was held, hosted by the Ministry of Industry, Mining and Trade, with the presentation of solutions for trade facilitation, the development of economic cooperation, and the removal of existing barriers.

In this committee, the minister responsible for trade of the Eurasian Economic Union, officials of the Economic Commission, ambassadors, deputy ministers of the Ministry of Industry, Mining and Trade, representatives of the Iran Trade Promotion Organization, the Customs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, the Ministries Transport and Urban Development and Agriculture, and the National Standards Organization of Iran and the Iran Veterinary Organization were present.

Accelerating the establishment of the electronic system for verification of origin, developing transit cooperation within the framework of the International North–South Corridor, and strengthening technical and health cooperation related to trade were among the most important axes of this meeting.

Also, the signing of the cooperation memorandum of understanding between the Business Council of the Eurasian Economic Union and the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture was assessed as a step toward strengthening communication among private sector actors and expanding trade cooperation between the two sides.

Awarding highest honorary badge of Eurasian Economic Union to industry, mining and trade minister

The highest honorary badge of the Eurasian Economic Union was awarded to Seyyed Mohammad Atabak, Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in appreciation of his effective efforts in developing and deepening Iran’s economic relations with this union, by Andrey Slepnev, Minister of Trade of the Eurasian Economic Commission.

According to an IRNA from the Ministry of Industry, Mining and Trade, this honorary badge was awarded in appreciation of the measures and efforts of the Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade to expand economic cooperation, strengthen trade interactions, and develop the relations of the Islamic Republic of Iran with the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union; cooperation that is pursued with the aim of utilizing mutual capacities, facilitating trade, and expanding economic ties between the parties.

Andrey Slepnev, Minister of Trade of the Eurasian Economic Union, arrived in Tehran on Wednesday to participate in the second meeting of the Joint Committee for the Implementation of the Free Trade Agreement between Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union, and in a meeting attended by Seyyed Mohammad Atabak, Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade, and other ambassadors of member states, they addressed the presentation of solutions for trade facilitation, the development of economic cooperation, and the removal of existing barriers.

On October 1, the Head of Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization (TPO), in a meeting with the Trade Minister of the Eurasian Economic Union, referring to the upward trend of trade between Iran and the member states of the union, emphasized the Islamic Republic of Iran’s determination to expand and deepen trade relations and strengthen ties between the private sectors of the two sides.

According to a report by the Public Relations of Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization, Mohammad Ali Dehghan Dehnavi, in a meeting with Slepnev, referring to the course of trade between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union, said: “Despite all challenges and problems, trade statistics between Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union have taken an upward trend, and this promises bright prospects for the development of trade relations in the future.”

The Deputy Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade, emphasizing the will and determination of the Islamic Republic of Iran to expand trade relations with the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union, added: “Iran has regular cooperation and trade relations with Russia and other member states of the union, and we are striving to make these ties deeper than before.”

Dehghan Dehnavi also expressed hope that the second meeting of the joint committee of Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union will be held in Tehran soon, and continued: “Holding this meeting in Tehran can be a suitable opportunity to strengthen communication between the private sectors of Iran and the member states of the union and to form new economic and trade cooperation.”

The Head of Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization also stressed the continuation of consultations and the use of existing capacities to develop economic and trade cooperation between Iran and the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union.

It is worth noting that Dehghan Dehnavi traveled to Minsk to participate in the 19th meeting of the Joint Economic Cooperation Commission of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Belarus.

Also, in mid-September, Iran’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance, offering a positive assessment of the results of his Tuesday meetings with officials of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), announced the proposal of initiatives such as setting a base currency to accelerate transactions and appointing special representatives to resolve obstacles facing bilateral trade.

According to IRNA, Seyyed Ali Madanizadeh, speaking to reporters after separate meetings and talks with the Chairman of the Executive Board and the Minister of Trade of the Eurasian Economic Commission at the union's headquarters in Moscow, added: "We held very good sessions."

He stated: "On Iran's behalf, we expressed our interest and readiness to expand relations and fully implement the free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union, and that we are prepared to cooperate with this union in various fields; the union's officials, in turn, expressed their willingness and interest in expanding ties with our country."

The Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance, referring to the efforts of the enemies of the Iranian nation to fuel economic warfare and block trade and financial channels, said: "What is evident is that, thanks to God, these countries support Iran and our economy, and that Iran has managed to maintain production and trade relations with countries under the toughest conditions." He added: "The member states of the Eurasian Economic Union are equally committed and eager to develop these relations."

Continuing his Moscow visit agenda for multilateral consultations, the Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance attended the Eurasian Economic Union's headquarters and met with the Chairman of the Executive Board and the Minister of Trade to discuss accelerating bilateral trade.

Seyyed Ali Madanizadeh, and Bakytzhan Sagintayev, Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission, emphasized their shared determination to expand cooperation during this meeting.

Prior to this meeting, the Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance held a separate session with Andrey Slepnev, Minister in charge of Trade of the Eurasian Economic Commission, and a group of union officials to review the progress of cooperation following the implementation of the free trade agreement. Slepnev, noting that the second meeting of the Iran-EAEU working group would be hosted by Tehran in the coming months, expressed hope that the upward trend in bilateral trade would continue.

Iran's Ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, and Mehdi Heydari, Deputy Minister of Economy and head of Iran's Organization for Investment, Economic and Technical Assistance, accompanied Madanizadeh during these meetings.

The free trade agreement between Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union came into force in May 2025 after completing legal procedures in the signatory countries, subsequently eliminating customs duties on 87% of goods in bilateral trade.

Within this cooperation framework, the path has been smoothed for Iranian goods to enter the market of over 180 million people in the union's member states, and reciprocally, this opportunity is available for traders from the five signatory countries in commerce with Iran.

Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Armenia are members of the Eurasian Economic Union, and Iran holds observer status in the union.

The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) is a regional economic integration bloc in the post-Soviet space, established by a treaty signed in 2014 and launched on January 1, 2015. Its five member states are Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Armenia, with Iran, Cuba, Moldova, and Uzbekistan holding observer status.

Modelled in part on the European Union, the EAEU aims to create a single internal market with the free movement of goods, services, capital, and labour. Its core objectives include improving living standards, ensuring sustainable economic development, and boosting the global competitiveness of member economies.

The bloc is driven by institutions such as the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council and the Eurasian Economic Commission. While the EAEU has expanded external ties—notably through a free trade agreement with Iran—internal integration remains uneven, with Russia dominating trade flows in a "hub and spoke" model. The bloc has set a long-term vision to become a self-sufficient and attractive macro-region by 2045.

MA