Caspian Nations Hold Private-Sector Trade Talks in Tehran

TEHRAN (Iran News) The two-day summit, hosted by the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (TCCIMA) at the Espinas Persian Gulf Hotel, brought together business leaders and officials from Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan, alongside ambassadors, provincial authorities, and members of Iran’s parliament.

Participants emphasized the need to leverage the Caspian Sea’s strategic potential to expand economic cooperation, establish joint programs and specialized secretariats, design regional projects, and create shared digital platforms to connect investors and entrepreneurs across the region.

Opening the session, Hadi Tizhosh-Taban, head of the Iran-Russia Joint Chamber of Commerce, described the Caspian Sea as a vital strategic corridor linking Asia and Europe. He noted that the Council—founded more than three decades ago—has been instrumental in promoting both regional and interregional trade relations.

“This meeting offers a golden opportunity to share business experiences and foster collaboration in investment, technology exchange, and creating a transparent environment for secure investments,” he said.

Mahmoud Najafi-Arab, president of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, said the presence of Caspian countries’ delegations demonstrates “a shared determination to deepen economic cooperation and belief in a brighter future built on dialogue and mutual benefit.”

Najafi-Arab highlighted the Caspian basin as a historic crossroads of civilizations and trade, now regaining strategic significance amid shifting global energy and transit routes. He pointed to projects such as the International North–South Transport Corridor, joint energy and petrochemical ventures, and expanding cooperation in transportation, agriculture, technology, and tourism as “unprecedented opportunities for regional growth.”

He also underlined persistent challenges — including banking and currency restrictions, poor transport infrastructure, inconsistent customs regulations, and fragmented trade policies — that have hindered regional integration. “We must move from dialogue to implementation,” he urged, calling for pragmatic and forward-looking approaches.

Najafi-Arab proposed forming sectoral working groups on logistics, energy, agriculture, innovation, and tourism, alongside developing digital investment platforms to promote transparency and attract cross-border capital. He said the Council should evolve from a symbolic forum into a results-driven, institutional mechanism capable of facilitating trade and joint ventures.

Dmitry Kurochkin, vice president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, stressed that Caspian nations play a unique role in regional transport and logistics, citing the North–South Corridor as a route that could “fuel economic growth for the region and beyond.”

He said the Russian Chamber encourages companies to engage more actively with Iran, particularly following Iran’s accession to BRICS, which he described as a catalyst for deepening bilateral economic ties.

Leonid Lozhenko, head of the Russia–Iran Business Council, echoed this view, announcing strategies to enhance cooperation in medical industries, cybersecurity, and high-tech sectors, as well as to expand trade in grains, timber, chemicals, and metals. He added that 80 percent of transactions are now conducted in rials and rubles, facilitated by Mir Business Bank, though financial transfers remain a major challenge.

Hadi Hejazi, governor of Gilan province, highlighted the underutilized logistical potential of the Caspian Sea, noting that only 25 percent of the total port capacity across the five nations is currently in use. He said that Iran and Russia alone could handle up to one billion tons of trade annually, rising to 1.5 billion tons when all littoral states are included.

Hejazi emphasized the urgency of completing the Rasht–Astara railway, a key link in the North–South Corridor, which is now more than one-third cleared and expected to be fully operational by year’s end.

Stanislav Sinchenko, head of the Astrakhan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, reported that trade between Astrakhan and Iran rose 50 percent in 2024, mainly involving grain exports and imports of ceramics and construction materials. More than 70 Iranian companies are now registered in the Astrakhan region, he said.

Begench Arazov, board member of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan, said his country is moving rapidly toward a liberalized economy with a greater private-sector role. He invited Caspian and neighboring investors, particularly from Iran, to participate in Turkmenistan’s evolving markets.

Finally, Abdollah Mohajer Darabi of Iran’s national chamber called for a review of past Council outcomes and progress reports from its secretariat, stressing that the combined trade volume of the five member nations represents “an exceptional opportunity” for private-sector partnerships.

The meeting concluded with a series of bilateral and multilateral business talks, paving the way for deeper commercial collaboration across the Caspian region.