TEHRAN- Iran’s Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade, while reading the message of the First Vice President at the second meeting of the Intergovernmental Council of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), emphasized Iran’s determination to deepen economic cooperation with member states of this union, full implementation of the free trade agreement, development of transit corridors, strengthening financial and banking cooperation, and utilization of shared capacities to achieve regional growth and prosperity.
According to IRNA report from the Ministry of Industry, Mining and Trade, Seyyed Mohammad Atabak, at the meeting of the Intergovernmental Council of the Eurasian Economic Union held in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyz Republic, while delivering the message of Mohammad Reza Aref, the First Vice President, and referring to recent developments in the region, stated: Iran has been targeted by the aggression of the Zionist regime and the United States over the past months. In this war, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, as the highest political and religious authority of the Islamic Republic of Iran, along with members of his family, were martyred. Additionally, a number of political and military officials and thousands of civilians, including 168 innocent students of Minab School, were massacred in a criminal act.
He continued: The recent attacks by the Zionist regime and the United States against the Islamic Republic of Iran and the bombing of urban and civilian, educational, medical, and pharmaceutical infrastructure, including the targeted and deliberate bombardment of vital transportation, energy, and industrial infrastructure and their destruction, were not only a war crime against the Iranian people, but also disrupted production, exports, and rendered transit corridors and routes for the movement of goods and energy across the entire region insecure. These corridors act as the vital arteries of the region and play a key role in facilitating trade, development and economic growth, job creation, poverty reduction, narrowing class divides, and increasing political stability of countries.
Atabak stated: The situation faced by the Islamic Republic of Iran was not merely a threat to a nation’s national security, but a challenge to the fundamental principles upon which the international legal system is based. Therefore, defending these principles is not merely defending the Islamic Republic of Iran, but defending collective security, regional stability, and the credibility of international law. Nevertheless, the great Iranian nation, with unparalleled courage and resilience in the face of the aggressive onslaught of enemies and certain conspiracies, has defended its sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity with honor, and today is nobly seeking an end to war and insecurity across the entire region through diplomacy and honorable solutions.
Stating that the Islamic Republic of Iran believes in multilateral regional cooperation mechanisms and frameworks formed by regional countries without dependence on extra-regional powers, he said: Economic integration and long-term regional cooperation are the keys to sustainable growth and shared prosperity of countries in the region. He stated: Our effort has always been to be an effective and reliable member and partner in regional arrangements and blocs. The active presence of the Islamic Republic of Iran in arrangements such as the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), BRICS, the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD), the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a testament to this claim.
The Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade emphasized: Undoubtedly, the Eurasian Economic Union holds a special place in the foreign policy and economic diplomacy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the free trade agreement between us and obtaining observer status in this union are signs of the will of both parties for effective and productive cooperation in the activities of this important economic body in this geographical expanse. The active participation of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the highest-level meetings of the Eurasian Economic Union demonstrates our determination and resolve to expand trade and economic relations between us and all five member states and observer members.
Referring to Iran’s presence in the summits and Intergovernmental Council meetings (Prime Ministers’ meeting) of the Eurasian Economic Union, he said: This year, the Ministry of Industry, Mining and Trade of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Commission, will hold the second Joint Committee and also the second meeting of the Working Group on Technical Barriers to Trade (under paragraph 10 of Article 4.7 of the agreement) in Tehran, and will review the latest status of the implementation of the agreement and existing challenges.
Atabak expressed: About three months ago, we also held the first anniversary of the implementation of the free trade agreement between the I.R. of Iran and the member states of the Eurasian Union, hosted by the Ministry of Industry, Mining and Trade of the Islamic Republic of Iran, with the presence of ambassadors of member states based in Tehran and relevant domestic bodies. Stating that the aforementioned agreement has been the most important implementation step we have taken over the past year in deepening mutual economic relations, he said: This agreement provides unique opportunities for national economies and a suitable platform for increasing the volume of trade exchanges. As it has already led to an increase in the volume of trade between us, and this trend will accelerate further with the removal of existing obstacles.
Emphasizing that one of the main axes of Iran’s economic diplomacy is the development of relations with friendly countries, neighbors, and developing countries, he said: In this regard, transport cooperation and the activation of transit corridors for goods and passengers are among our important priorities. We consider cooperation in the field of transit and economic corridors essential for facilitating trade, ensuring the security of supply chains and food security, increasing integration, and reducing poverty and economic disparity.
The Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade said: One of the most important tools of pressure against actors pursuing an independent policy in the international system is financial and banking mechanisms and the control of money transfer channels. We believe that this union has reached sufficient maturity regarding the necessity of creating an independent financial and banking system and must transform existing ideas into marketable products to secure its financial security. In this regard, we propose that the central banks of member states, in the form of a specialized committee, while analyzing the trend of digital currency development worldwide, share their experiences regarding the launch of central bank digital currencies (CBDC) with each other and create an intra-group mechanism for interaction in this field. It is also appropriate for the organization’s members to cooperate and synergize to introduce a new and more efficient mechanism for interbank messaging as an alternative to SWIFT.
Atabak announced: From the perspective of the Islamic Republic of Iran, cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Union is a long-term strategy to create a powerful region, through strengthening national sovereignties, facilitating and developing trade, transport, energy security, development of modern technologies, agriculture and tourism, creating shared financial and banking infrastructure, people-to-people communications, and other areas of interest. He stated: The Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to utilize its national and domestic capacities in the aforementioned areas at both bilateral levels and within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union, and to discuss its plans through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with union members and the commission. I am certain that by relying on cultural and historical commonalities and benefiting from the blessing of geographical proximity, we can portray a successful model of regional integration.
The Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade stated: The Islamic Republic of Iran supports the advancement of the process of creating a common market for oil and petroleum products, accelerating priority measures for the digitalization of transport and transit corridors, and also finalizing the electronic commerce agreement for goods within the Eurasian Economic Union. The realization of these goals, while improving supply chain efficiency, reducing transaction costs, and increasing transparency and predictability of trade, will be an effective step towards strengthening the region’s economic resilience.
In this message, he addressed Iran’s capacities and said: Iran, with its extensive capacities in the energy sector, strategic position in connecting international north-south and east-west corridors, and development of customs and digital infrastructure, is ready to place its experiences, capacities, and capabilities at the disposal of member and observer states of the Eurasian Economic Union within the framework of scientific cooperation based on mutual interests. The success of these initiatives requires the creation of a predictable environment free from unnecessary barriers to trade, transport, and economic cooperation, so that all members can equally benefit from the advantages of regional integration.
MA
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