Iran, Russia agree to expand agricultural cooperation through financial facilitation

Pars Today – The Minister of Agriculture Jihad of the Islamic Republic of Iran emphasized the use of Russian port capacities and the facilitation of financial and banking processes to increase bilateral cooperation during a meeting with Russia’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture.

According to Pars Today, citing IRIB, Gholamreza Nouri, who is in India to attend the BRICS agriculture ministers’ meeting, met on Saturday with Maxim Markovich.

During the meeting, Nouri stressed that potential financial and banking obstacles between the two countries must be removed, adding that the central banks of both countries should play a more active role in facilitating payments, trade exchanges, and supporting economic operators.

He further underlined the need to establish effective financial and banking mechanisms to facilitate agricultural trade and the supply of essential goods, stating that technical and financial cooperation between relevant institutions in Iran and Russia should be pursued more seriously to ease the trade of agricultural products and essential commodities.

He also referred to the need to expand cooperation in maritime transport and the use of port capacities in both countries, saying that implementing the BRICS grain exchange requires the support and cooperation of Russia as a member of BRICS and a key neighboring and strategic partner.

The Russian Deputy Minister of Agriculture also welcomed Iran’s active role in the initiative to establish a BRICS grain exchange and expressed his country’s readiness for closer cooperation in grain trade and the development of joint mechanisms within the BRICS framework. He stated that Russia is prepared to expand the use of port infrastructure and maritime transport lines and to facilitate the import and export of agricultural products with Iran.

Meanwhile, Gholamreza Nouri also met Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture on the sidelines of the BRICS agriculture ministers’ meeting. Referring to the extensive capacities of both sides in the agricultural sector, he said that the two countries have complementary capabilities and numerous opportunities to expand joint cooperation and can become strategic partners in various areas of agriculture.