TEHRAN - CBI’s deputy
governor for international affairs Mohsen Karimi has said that two Iranian banks are planning to launch offices and branches in Russia, amid growing trade and business ties between the two countries.
“Fortunately some good developments are taking place. We hope to announce news of the inauguration of the representative office and branch in Russia for at least two Iranian commercial banks in future,” said Karimi, who serves as CBI’s deputy governor for international affairs.
The announcement came a day after Russia’s second-largest bank VTB opened a representative office in Iran.
Iranian officials said the VTB is the first Russian bank to be directly represented in Iran as they expressed hope that the bank’s office in Tehran would help boost transparency in Iran’s international banking relations while improving trade and transaction capabilities for Iranian and Russian businesses.
Karimi said VTB’s decision to set up an office in Tehran is in line with its policy to identify opportunities for investment and commercial activities in Iran.
He said Iran’s CBI has been pushing Iranian banks in recent months to do the same and try to seize economic opportunities existing in the Russian market.
The chairman of the Iran Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has expressed hope for the opening of ICC’s trade office in Russia this year.
Chairman of the Iran Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Gholamhossein Shafei who has traveled to the Republic of Tatarstan at the head of an Iranian trade delegation to attend the “Kazan Forum 2023” said, his country attaches great importance to expanding economic and trade ties with Russian Federation, especially Tatarstan Republic.
He further referred to his consultations over the last few months with Sergei Katyrin, the chairman of Russia’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RIAC), who was also present at the Kazan meeting, and said, “The Iranian Chamber has approved the establishment of 5 commercial (trade) offices in countries prone to business growth, and setting up a business office in Russia is our top priority, which we hope will open this year to meet the needs of increased trade exchanges.”
Welcoming the Iranian trade delegation, Sergei Katyrin, said in the meeting, for his part, that “I have already had a discussion with Mr. Shafei about the development of trade exchanges and I agree with his opinion that exchanges of trade delegations in recent months and today’s meeting will help strengthen cooperation.”
“The increase in visits between Iranian and Russian businessmen all bear testimony to the fact that there has been good cooperation in the trade between Iran and Russia and the work done by the two countries has been unprecedented in the business field,” the RIAC chairman further noted.
Referring to the visit of the Russian delegation to Iran last year, he said, “In the previous meeting, we sent a delegation comprising more than 100 people to Iran, and today, the meetings that started with that trip, are responded to by the presence of the Iranian delegation in Kazan.”
“We appreciate the efforts of all Iranian businessmen who pay attention to their market in Russia and are determined to continue doing business between the two countries, and we provide good facilities to them,” the Russian business official further added.
Speaking in the meeting, Shamil Ageev, the head of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Tatarstan expressed hope that” this meeting will be helpful for the development of trade relations between the two countries.”
“Iran and the Republic of Tatarstan have diverse capacities (potentials) and needs, and by focusing on these issues, the favorable space for the development of bilateral trade is laid,” Ageev added.