Financial Tribune- Russia is willing to sell Elbrus computer central processor units to Iran, the Minister of Communications and Mass Media Nikolai Nikiforov said in a meeting with Iran�s deputy telecoms minister.

The meeting between Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi and Nikiforov was held in Moscow on January 18, Mehr News Agency reported.

Elbrus CPUs are designed to replace Intel and AMD computer processors.

It has been reported that Russia is trying to challenge the US monopoly on the global IT market. However, Russia�s IT companies have not had a stellar performance so far.

To take on the Americans, the Russian Federation has formed BRICS ICT, an IT-oriented wing of BRICS, the association of five major emerging national economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

The country has also invested heavily in boosting domestic production of IT equipment and parts and is obviously looking for foreign markets.

The Russian microprocessor company Moscow Center of SPARC Technologies (MCST) is the company which will sell the CPUs to Iran.

Some speculate MCST�s development budget is 0.05% that of Intel, which arguably renders it insignificant in the international microprocessors production and development race.

According to Nikiforov, a Russo-Iranian joint venture should be set up before the CPU exports to Iran.

He also hinted that Russia is willing to collaborate with Iranian firms to produce computer processors.

MCST produces different types of processors which can be used in personal computers, servers, and computing systems. Nikiforov did not say which models of CPUs will be exported to Iran.

According to Jahromi, 14 joint projects underway between Iranian and Russian private companies were also discussed during the meeting.

The Iranian official said, �The 14 ongoing projects will boost joint technology development and jobs in Iran.�

He added Iran is looking forward to collaborating with Russian companies active in the IT sector.