Gilan:The Head of Iran's Trade Promotion Organization, Mohammad-Ali Dehghan Dehnavi, has announced ambitions to significantly increase Iran's exports to Russia. He believes that Iran could boost its exports from the current $1-2 billion up to as much as $20 billion by capitalizing on more than $50 billion in Russian import opportunities.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Dehghan Dehnavi, who also serves as Deputy Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade, highlighted the potential for growth during the first Iran-Russia Trade Development Summit. He emphasized the importance of increasing Iran's market share in Russia, especially following the implementation of the Iran-Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade Agreement in April 2025. This agreement eliminated tariffs on 87 percent of goods, offering Iranian exporters a competitive advantage.

The summit, hosted in Gilan's Anzali Free Zone, focused on exploring trade opportunities between Iran and Russia, particularly the roles of Gilan and Astrakhan as key trade gateways. Dehghan Dehnavi stressed the necessity of leveraging this opportunity for economic and trade convergence with the Eurasian Economic Union, which could enable Iran to significantly increase its exports to Russia.

Vladimirovich Azarov, Consul General of the Russian Federation in Rasht, expressed that Russia and Iran are keen on expanding their cooperation across various fields. He noted the longstanding relations and trade ties between Astrakhan and Gilan, which have been formalized through a trade cooperation agreement in place since 1994.