Astrakhan-Iran: A New Step Forward

Created: Fri, 29/07/2016 - 12:56
Changed: Fri, 29/07/2016 - 12:56

July 2016 became the most replete month in the history of development of trade and economic ties between the Astrakhan region and the Islamic State of Iran.
The Astrakhan delegation headed by Governor Alexander Zhilkin paid an official visit to Iran on July, 22 and on July, 26 flew back on the direct flight from Tehran to Astrakhan together with the Iranian delegation which was led by Mahmoud Vaezi, Minister of Communication and Information Technology of Iran and Co-Chairman of the Permanent Russian-Iranian Commission for Trade and Economic Cooperation, and consisted of Iranian officials and businessmen.
Their visit to Astrakhan was timed to coincide with two significant events which happened in Astrakhan on the same day.
Immediately upon arrival a ceremony for the opening of the new direct flight "Tehran-Astrakhan-Tehran" was held. It was followed by negotiations between Mahmoud Vaezi and Alexander Zhilkin and a meeting between government ministers of the Astrakhan region and representatives of Iranian official delegation, which included Iran's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Russia Mehdi Sanaei, Head of Russia-Iran Joint Chamber of Commerce Assadollah Asgarowladi and other high-ranking Iranian officials.
In the afternoon Russian-Iranian business forum "Russia-Iran: trade, economic, and investment cooperation" was opened by Mahmoud Vaezi and Alexander Zhilkin. More than a hundred Iranian and Russian businessmen attended this forum.
Then the high-level guest visited Astrakhan Port PJSC and inspected the building of the future Iran Trade House.
As part of the introductory city trip Mahmoud Vaezi visited the Astrakhan Kremlin and the former Persian representative house. Head of the Astrakhan regional branch of "All-Russian Azerbaijan Congress" Adalat A. Guseinov showed the Iranian guest Heydar Aliev's Square and Footbridge of Russian-Azerbaijani Friendship, built by Azerbaijanis at Heydar Aliev Fond's cost. Mahmoud Vaezi acknowledged highly the friendship and cooperation potential between the Astrakhan region and Iran and promised the Government of Astrakhan region his comprehensive support in developing it further.