MOSCOW. Aug 29 (Interfax) - The level of trade and economic cooperation between Moscow and Tehran could reach the figures seen during the years when there were not yet sanctions against Iran, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
"By our estimate, it is quite feasible to reach, as well as significantly exceed the so-called pre-sanctions trade and economic cooperation figures in the very near future," Lavrov told a press conference after talks with his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif.
"We have discussed the successful progress in fulfilling the agreements signed by the presidents during their meeting in Shanghai in May, and acknowledged that this work allows us to take our trade and economic ties to a new level through their significant increase across all areas, including energy," said the Russian foreign minister.
He stressed that the entire cooperation, including on energy, "is being realized in full accordance with the current trade and economic norms of international law."
The Russian-Iranian trade and economic relations are the sovereign affair of the two states and harm no one, the minister said.
For his part, Zarif said that Iran is expecting practical implementation of the agreements reached earlier. "Based on the international norms and international law, cooperation between our countries is not harmful to anyone but only conducive to regional stability," the Iranian minister said.