Iranian and Russian finance ministers held constructive talks, envoy says
Kazem Jalali said the discussions in Moscow could open new prospects for economic relations between the two countries.
Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali said Iran’s and Russia’s finance ministers held constructive talks in Moscow. He highlighted plans to expand trade, improve customs and banking cooperation, and develop transport infrastructure along the North-South Corridor, including the Rasht–Astara railway and a proposed broad-gauge line to Bandar Abbas.
MOSCOW — Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali said the finance ministers of Iran and Russia held “constructive and good” talks in Moscow on Monday.
Speaking at a meeting with Iranian businesspeople and traders living in Russia, Jalali said the discussions between Iran’s Finance Minister Ali Madanizadeh and his Russian counterpart could create a positive outlook for relations between the two countries, according to IRNA.
Referring to a meeting between the presidents of Iran and Russia on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit on Sept. 1, 2026, Jalali described the issues discussed as constructive and said the Iranian government was seriously committed to strengthening ties with Russia.
Jalali said Russia had significant economic potential for Iran, including the purchase of essential goods. He said bilateral trade had followed a positive trend in recent years and that serious commercial activity between the two countries had begun, taking into account Russia’s large market.
He emphasized the need to remove obstacles to expanding trade, including through better market knowledge, the development of transit infrastructure, the resolution of customs problems, improvements in monetary and banking transactions, and upgraded logistics.
Jalali also referred to government efforts to strengthen transport infrastructure along the North-South Corridor. He cited follow-up efforts to implement the agreement to build the Rasht–Astara railway, saying that, following an instruction from Iran’s president, the minister of roads and urban development was seriously pursuing the acceleration of the project. The Russian side has said the project could be completed within three years, he added.
The ambassador also discussed a proposal to build a second railway line using the Russian gauge from Astara to Bandar Abbas. He said a broad-gauge line was necessary if the North-South Corridor was to be realized by rail.
Jalali rejected criticism of the broad-gauge proposal, saying Iran’s existing railway line also uses a Western, rather than a domestic, standard. He said the proposed line would offer benefits in both directions and would provide Iran with reciprocal access to the Baltic waters.
Iranian Economy and Finance Minister Ali Madanizadeh arrived in Moscow on Sunday for bilateral and multilateral consultations, according to IRNA.