Rustam Minnikhanov discusses cooperation issues with Iranian Deputy Oil Minister, the Head of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) Mohsen Khojasteh-Mehr

On 14 February at their meeting in Tehran  held with participation of the Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Russia to Iran Aleksey Dedov, the Rais (Head) of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov, who came on a working trip to Iran, and the Iranian Deputy Oil Minister, the Head of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) Mohsen Khojasteh-Mehr discussed prospects of implementation and operation of the North-South transport corridor, which includes issues of building in  Tatarstan logistics centers into chains passing along the Kama and Volga rivers and the Caspian Sea in the direction of Iranian ports. In the future this project will create a good opportunity to deliver goods by water transport to Iran and further to other countries of the Middle East, Africa and the South-East Asia.

In the beginning of the meeting, Rustam Minnikhanov thanked his interlocutor for the meeting and informed that a delegation from the republic has come to Iran to discuss issues of expanding cooperation within the framework of friendly Russia-Iran relations. He also expressed his confidence that the visit of the delegation will have applied results and facilitate mutually beneficial joint work when, under difficult conditions of world economy, the cooperation between Russia and Iran gains special value and importance.

The Rais of the republic said that today Tatarstan is among leading industrially developed regions of the country. It is the oldest oil producing region of Russia and is among the regions-leaders in GRP, industrial production, construction and housing commissioning and investments into the main assets. He also informed that the region is the first in Russia in milk production, manufactures 30 per cent of all Russian polyethylene, 43 per cent of synthetic rubber, and produces trucks and tyres, helicopters and planes as well as 7.2 per cent of Russian oil, 65 per cent of which is processed in the republic.

In addition to issues of oil production and refinery, Rustam Minnikhanov told the Iranian Deputy Oil Minister about plans on implementation of a joint project in construction of the Iranian trade center in Tatarstan which must become the main site in the region and its neighbours for direct sales of Iranian producers.

Using the chance, he also invited representatives of the Iranian Oil Ministry and a business-delegation from Iran to take part in the International Economic Forum “Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum” to be held in Kazan in May 2024 and in the annual Gas and Oil Forum to be held in Kazan in August of the current year.