Cooperation is gaining momentum: how Bashkiria develops ties with friendly Iran

The development of Russian-Iranian cooperation is of particular importance in light of the tightening of Western sanctions against our country. According to TASS, during the visit of the Russian president to Tehran, the prospects for signing by Iran this year of a permanent agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union on a free trade zone, which should replace the current temporary agreement, will be discussed. At Vladimir Putin's meetings with the Iranian leadership, they will also discuss various aspects of bilateral cooperation, including issues of international and regional security.

It is very important for Bashkiria, which is one of the most economically and industrially developed regions of Russia, to develop ties with Iran.

The Islamic Republic is included in the Top 10 counterparty countries of Bashkiria. The volume of mutual trade in comparison with 2020 increased by 6.7 times, to 121.1 million US dollars. Now the republic supplies Iran with measuring devices, tools and drilling equipment, chemical products, copper, grain, and imports, in turn, cast-iron rolls for rolling mills, liquefied gas, butylene, and vegetable products. There are 53 Iranian students studying at the universities of Bashkiria, mostly doctors.

The republic intends to expand the range of goods supplied to the friendly country. The issue of sending an employee of the relevant Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations RB to Iran in order to help the enterprises of the two republics develop cooperative ties is being resolved. The possibility of opening a representative office of Bashkiria in Tehran is being discussed.

In April of this year, the Head of Bashkiria, Radiy Khabirov, who met in Moscow with the Vice-President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Sorena Sattari, noted that the experience of Iran could be extremely useful for the republic. The country, which has been living under tough sanctions for decades, has not fallen into decay; on the contrary, it is actively developing.

Iran and Bashkiria have much in common in the structure of the economy and the food market. Iran is a big consumer of grain, oil, and other agricultural products. This is one of the leading oil-producing powers, independently developing modern technologies for oil production and refining. Iran has a fairly developed mechanical engineering, the country needs equipment for the mining industry, which is produced by Bashkiria. It is also planned to develop cooperation in the field of science, education and culture. There is mutual interest in terms of personnel training and scientific research, an agreement has been reached on organizing direct flights between Bashkiria and Iran.

In June, the stand of Bashkiria at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum was visited by a delegation of the Iranian state oil and gas company National Iranian Oil Company. The parties discussed the possibilities of interaction between Iranian oilmen and oilfield service companies of Bashkiria and bilateral cooperation in general.

In October this year, an official delegation led by the Head of the Republic Radiy Khabirov will leave for a friendly country, it will include representatives of the business circles of the region. Enterprises of the republic interested in cooperation are invited to participate.

Author: Roman Yakimchuk