Russia has proposed to Iran to join the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) – a regional trading bloc comprised of states located primarily in northern Eurasia.

Mehdi Sana’ei, Iran’s ambassador to Russia, has been quoted by the media as saying that the proposal was raised during a meeting in Moscow with Viktor Khristenko, the chairman of the Eurasian Commission.

Iran’s Embassy in Moscow has announced in a statement that the meeting was held on this past Thursday. The Embassy said Khristenko has called on Iran to have an active and efficient cooperation EAEU.

Accordingly, it has been agreed for Iran and EAEU to start expert talks for Iran’s membership to the Union that already comprises Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Armenia, Iran's Fararu news website has reported.

The EAEU, which has is based in Moscow, was officially established in January 2015. It introduces the free movement of goods, capital, services and people and provides for common transport, agriculture and energy policies, with provisions for a single currency and greater integration in the future.

The Union – that has a GDP of $2.4 trillion and a foreign trade turnover of above $900 billion – says on its website that it is being created to comprehensively upgrade, raise the competitiveness of and cooperation between the national economies, and to promote stable development in order to raise the living standards of the nations of the member-states.

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