Head of the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran (TPOI) Mehdi Zeyghami said, “It is hoped that the FTA agreement signed between Iran and member states of the EAEU will be notified by the parliament within the next six months.”

Speaking at a conference introducing the capacities, goals, and programs of the Sixth Export Potentials Exhibition of the Islamic Republic of Iran, he said that this exhibition is the most prestigious trade and economic event in the country.

He said many countries have shown their interest in participating in this edition of the exhibition.

The volume of the trade exchanges between Iran and other countries will expand upon the participation of foreign trade delegations in this round of the exhibition, he emphasized.

Concurrent with the organizing this exhibition, it is predicted that Iran will clinch more preferential- and free trade agreements with some of the participating countries in line with spurring the trade-economic activities, TPOI chief added.

The deputy minister of industry expressed hope that the Free Trade Agreement between Iran and member states of the EAEU will be communicated by the Iranian parliament in the next Iranian calendar year (to start March 21, 2024).

Elsewhere in his remarks, Zeyghami pointed out that efforts for signing a free trade agreement between Iran and Syria, Venezuela, and an eastern European are underway, adding that the preferential trade agreement with Indonesia and some of the eastern Asian countries has been put on the agenda of the organization as well. 

The free trade agreement between the EAEU and Iran was signed during the EAEU summit in St. Petersburg on December 25, 2023.

In 2018, Iran and the EAEU inked a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), which came into effect on October 27, 2019. The two sides later began negotiations to upgrade the PTA to an FTA after the success of the former.

The 6th Export Potential Exhibition of the Islamic Republic of Iran will be held in Tehran from April 27 to May 1, 2024.

SD/TSN