Iran and Russia have proposed bilateral solutions to remove obstacles and speed up the implementation of agreements reached by their joint economic commission, Iran's oil minister said Tuesday.
Mohsen Paknejad said he held a lengthy videoconference Monday with Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev under the framework of the Iran-Russia Joint Economic Commission. The two sides reviewed issues that had been defined earlier by the commission, he said.
Paknejad said the ministers went over previous achievements and decisions, and both sides offered ways to overcome existing hurdles so that better results can be reached in the shortest possible time.
The joint commission is one of the main mechanisms for pursuing and expanding cooperation between the two countries. Much of the work on energy, investment, trade and joint projects is handled through it.
The commission's 19th session was held in February at the National Iranian Oil Co.'s international conference center in Tehran. It covered a wide range of topics, including completing the North-South international transport corridor, transferring Russian gas to Iran, and cooperation in space industries, nuclear energy, banking, customs, agriculture, health, culture, tourism, and science and technology. The outcomes were compiled in a commission document signed by ministers from both countries.
The two ministers also met in Tehran in July. They assessed how the understandings from the 19th session were being carried out, including 146 agreed items, and examined obstacles to implementation.