MOSCOW: Russia hopes a deal to supply grain and industrial equipment to Iran can be reached soon, Russia’s Economy Minister Alexei Ulyukayev said yesterday, Russian news agencies reported.
“It (the deal) will affect not only grain, there are broad lists of goods ... We expect that (a deal) could be reached in the near future,” Ulyukayev told reporters in Tehran, according to the RIA news agency.
In January, it was reported that Moscow and Tehran were discussing a barter deal that would see Moscow buy up to 500,000 barrels a day of Iranian oil in exchange for Russian equipment and goods.
Ulyukayev did not give a date for when the deliveries to Iran could start but said that discussions were ongoing.
He said Russia was discussing supplying Iran with equipment for the oil and gas industry, agricultural machinery, cars, planes and electric generators, among other equipment.
Sources have said the oil-for-goods deal could be worth up to $20bn. The White House has said such a deal would raise “serious concerns” and would be inconsistent with the nuclear talks between world powers and Iran.
Iran and the six powers on Monday gave themselves seven more months to resolve a standoff on Iran’s nuclear programme that has seen crippling economic sanctions imposed on Tehran.
Reuters
