Iran Plays Pivotal Role in Cementing EAEU Ties

IRAN NEWS RCONOMIC NEWS

TEHRAN – The Eurasian Economic Union International Conference on the Geopolitical Role of Free Zones in Regional Development was held yesterday at Iran’s northern port Anzali.

In a video message to the International Conference of Eurasian Economic Union and Geopolitical Role of Free Zones, Iranian Minister of Energy said the country can play a pivotal role in cementing cooperation among member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

Reza Ardakanian added the EAEU is an emerging organization among regional bodies.

“If a higher level of regional unity, cooperation and convergence is reached at this union, it has the potential to turn into one of key economic and even political hubs of the world,” said Ardakanian, who is charged with coordinating the implementation of the temporary free trade agreement with the EAEU.

“If the Eurasian Economic Union boosts its performance, it can protect its members and trade partners against the negative effects of globalization, and can also help them improve their capabilities for global competition,” he noted.

He touched upon the conflict between Armenia and the Azerbaijan Republic near Iran’s norther borders, saying closer cooperation between regional countries and the EAEU as well as the enhancement of mutual trade can prevent further insecurity in the region.

“Given the new nature of threats and the vast number of security conflicts and challenges in the expansive Eurasia region, it is necessary to make more efforts to boost economic convergence among the regional countries; the EAEU has pave the way for this important measure,” he said.

He underlined that cooperating with the EAEU should be considered as a national project In Iran, which requires coordination and cooperation among all executive bodies and the private sector.

“with a population of 183 million and a foreign trade volume of $ 750 billion, the EAEU has a 3.2-percent share in the world GDP,” he said, “The EAEU is a unique opportunity for Iran to expand its exports and reciprocal trade in favor of its economic development.”

The EAEU can play a big role in improving the political and security risk factor of its member countries, including the Islamic Republic of Iran, he said.

Meanwhile addressing the conference, the head of the Iranian Association of Geopolitics referred to Iran as a strategic connecting point between Asia and Europe, saying the country has an irreplaceable and unique geopolitical position in the world.

Yahya Rahim Safavi noted, “Today, the power structure in the world is slowly moving towards a new order.”

Stressing that the U.S. is no longer the world’s only superpower, he said, “The decline of American economic, political, and cultural power at the level of internal and global scale is definite.”

Referring to the failure of U.S. hegemony, the diminishing effectiveness of sanctions and other economic, political tools to put maximum pressure on independent Eurasian nations such as Iran, Russia he said, “Today we are witnessing the emergence of new economic, political, cultural and security powers on a regional scale in Oceania and Asia.”

Today, the Eurasian region has got an influential role in the global economy due to the Sea of Japan, the Caspian Sea as well as the Persian Gulf in terms of having resources of world fossil fuels.

Elsewhere, Safvai hailed Iran’s irreplaceable and unique geopolitical position in the world that can connect China, Kazakhstan, Central Asia, and the Middle East to the Mediterranean and Europe, adding, “Transportation of Iranian goods to Russia and Europe is another economic axis that can be considered in the context of Iran relations with EAEU.”

The one-day conference was to explore the role of free zones in promotion of regional relations.

The problems facing economic activists for customs cooperation with the Union member states were discussed in the conference.

The Eurasian Economic Union is an international organization for regional economic integration. It has an international legal personality and is established by the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union.

The EAEU provides for free movement of goods, services, capital and labor, pursues coordinated, harmonized, and single policy in the sectors determined by the treaty and international agreements within the union.