29 Mar 2024
Sunday 12 June 2016 - 14:47
Story Code : 218142

True to Tehran: Russian loan reflects 'Mutually Beneficial Partnership'

Russia's move to provide a 2.5-billion-euro loan to Iran indicates that even anti-Russian sanctions cannot stop Moscow from expanding its economic ties with its southern partner, Omid Shokri Kalehsar, a US-based Iranian energy expert, told Sputnik.

In an interview withSputnik, Omid Shokri Kalehsar, a US-based Iranian energy expert, heaped praise onRussia forproviding Iran witha 2.5-billion-euro loan, which he said reflects Moscow's drive tobolster economic relations with Tehran inthe face ofanti-Russian sanctions.

The interview came a few days afterRussia's Deputy Finance Minister Sergey Storchak said that Moscow is ready toloan Tehran upto 2.5 billion euros forinfrastructure projects.

Kalehsar recalled that Moscow is currently constructing a bridge tolink the Crimean Peninsula withmainland Russia, a 4.5-billion-dollar project which is being implemented amidsanctions that the EU, the US and other countries slapped onRussia.

"But inspite ofthis, Russia is ready totake the most difficult and important decisions, including onthe issue ofgranting a hefty loan toIran. In any case, everything is based ona mutually beneficial partnership withboth parties due toget their desired benefits," Kalehsar said.

He added that the current 2.5-billion-euro loan is a sign that Russia and Iran intend todevelop their economic ties and elevate them toa new level.

"Many Russian energy giants, such asLukoil, Gazprom and Rosatom are returning tothe Iranian market tocontinue bilateral cooperation inthe energy sector. Right now, the sides are inthe process ofnegotiating a spate ofnew major contracts," he said.

Kalehsar also pointed tothe fact that even international sanctions againstTehran failed tokeep Russia and Iran fromdeveloping a full-blown economic partnership.

Major Russian companies that were engaged inthe implementation oflarge-scale projects inIran's energy sector atthe time did their best todeliver ontheir promises and fulfill the infrastructure-related part ofthe projects, according toKalehsar.

Since 2014, the European Union, the United States and their allies have imposed several rounds ofsanctions againstRussia, and accuse the Kremlin ofinterfering inthe Ukrainian conflict a claim that Moscow has repeatedly denied.

On June 28-29, the EU leaders are due todecide onthe further prolongation ofsanctions ata summit inBrussels.

By Sputnik News
https://theiranproject.com/vdchk6nii23nzzd.01t2.html
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