More than 300 Iranian businesspeople from 18 provinces are in Russia this week for two international trade fairs, in what Iran's ambassador calls the largest Iranian trade delegation in seven years. The group met on Tuesday with Ambassador Kazem Jalali, provincial governors, and agriculture officials to discuss expanding bilateral trade.
The delegation is attending the Moscow food and beverage expo and the St. Petersburg fisheries and aquaculture exhibition. Jalali said current regional and global shifts offer a valuable chance to deepen Tehran-Moscow trade, urging ties resilient to international changes. He cited the North-South Corridor and Russian gas transfers as major long-term projects. He welcomed a private-sector effort to establish an Iranian trade office in Russia.
Bushehr Governor Arsalan Zare said enemy military aggression failed, and now economic war; Iran would overcome. He said Bushehr, with 1.5% of population and area but 8% of GDP, is an economic and energy hub.
Yazd Governor Mohammad Reza Babaei said provincial diplomacy is valuable. Yazd produces over 900 goods, some for export, plus 140 construction materials and greenhouse products, offering export opportunities to Russia.
Fisheries chief Hamzeh Rostamipour said Moscow and Tehran are trustworthy friends and meeting Russian demand can support Iranian production. He said the private sector leads fisheries, and more than 300 traders and a national pavilion in St. Petersburg show economic actors are engaged. Veterinary chief Vahid Salehi said his agency supports producers and invited them to join a food-security resilience committee.
Economic actors from provinces including Bushehr, Yazd, Khuzestan, East Azerbaijan, Hormozgan, and others are participating. Besides the exhibitions, they will negotiate with Russian officials and the private sector on removing obstacles and expanding cooperation. The Moscow food fair runs Sept. 15-18; the St. Petersburg fisheries expo runs Sept. 16-18.
