TEHRAN (FNA)- Moscow's Ambassador to Tehran Levan Jagarian said his country is attempting to resolve the existing problems in a bid to start a boost in Russian tourists visits to Iran.
"The grounds for the presence of the Russian tourists will be prepared," Jagarian said in a meeting with officials of Iran's Northern province of Mazandaran on Monday morning.

He also said there has recently been a major reduction in Russians' tourist visits to the European states "due to the increase in euro and dollar exchange rates (against Rubbles) and prices".

Jagarian further mentioned that customs tariffs problems between Iran and Russia are still in place, stressing that the issue needs immediate attention and decision.

He said Russia has no problem for facilitating visa issuance for Iranian businessmen as Moscow is eager to boost trade ties and exchanges between the two countries, adding that 100 Russian traders visited Iran only in September.

In earlier remarks, Jagarian had said foreign firms and international enterprises have swarmed Iran to win contracts with Tehran following the successful implementation of the Geneva nuclear deal.

“Given the positive changes which have taken place about Iran, the Russian companies like other international firms are more active in relations with Iran,” Jagarian said in an interview with the Russian daily Kommersant in February.

He said that even those companies which had helped the western countries in imposing unilateral sanctions against Tehran are now striving to return to Iran’s promising market.

Jagarian also said that the Russian oil companies’ activities in Iran and Moscow’s opportunity to buy Iranian crude have raised the US and other countries’ serious concern.

Asked if Russia should bear in mind the US concerns about the possible Iranian oil deal with Russian companies, the ambassador said, "Russia is an independent country, which is conducting an independent policy."

"As I have said before, Russia denies recognition of the unilateral sanctions of the US and the EU against Iran. Certainly, we listen to what they tell us, but we will make decisions exclusively on the basis of our own national interests. I have said that more than once to my Western colleagues, who are asking this question," Jagarian said.

Not only Russian companies but also their rivals from other countries, among them Western, have demonstrated activity on the Iranian track, he emphasized.

"Indeed, everyone but the lazy has visited Iran. It is a step by step transformation into a politico-economic Courchevel. Anyone is visiting here, even big businessmen from the countries that have imposed unilateral sanctions on Iran and are criticizing it for various courses of action," the ambassador said.

By Fars News Agency

 

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