Sputnik - Iranian Ambassador to Russia Mehdi Sanaei expressed hope on Tuesday for the creation of a free trade area between Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which would bolster Russia-Iran economic relations.


MOSCOW (Sputnik)�� Moscow and Tehran held talks on�the establishment of�the free trade area between�EAEU and Iran in�February. After the negotiations, members of�the EAEU prime ministerial council signed a directive ordering preparations for�a temporary agreement on�the establishment of�the EAEU-Iran free trade zone.


"The economic relations between�our countries are developing, and the signing of�the basic agreements has created the ground for�that. An 80-percent increase in�the turnover last year proves this," Sanaei said during�a round�table discussion at�Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency.

The EAEU is a regional political and economic bloc that aims to�optimize the flow of�goods and services between�its members. Its current member states are Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in�October 2016 that over�the last two and a half years the turnover between�Russia and Iran increased more than�twice.