Sputnik- Russian Federation Council speaker Valentina Matvienko said that Iran will be ready to sign the agreement on the creation of a free trade zone with the Eurasian Economic Union in 2017.

TEHRAN (Sputnik)�� Iran will be ready to�sign the agreement on�the creation of�a free trade zone with�the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) in�2017, Russian Federation Council speaker Valentina Matvienko said in�a statement.

"Iran is ready to�finish by�the end of�the year the first stage of�preparation of�documents necessary for�joining the free trade zone, so that the country would be ready to�sign the agreement next year," Matvienko told reporters following�the meeting with�President of�Iran Hassan Rouhani.

The agreement stipulates the creation of�a free trade zone between�Iran and the EEU in�order to�boost the turnover and stimulate mutual trade. Matvienko noted that the president of�Iran also urged to�strengthen the efforts on�including Iran to�the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

In late December, it was reported that Iran and the EEU, comprising Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, were beginning to�work on�a free trade zone agreement.