Iran will prepare for joining the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) as a permanent member, reports zakon.kz with a link to Prime.

Iran has begun negotiations on permanent membership in the union, in two weeks preparatory measures will be taken regarding our permanent membership (in the EAEU), – said the speaker of the Iranian Mejlis Mohammad Bagher Galibaf, who returned to Tehran after a visit to Russia.

Earlier, the Minister for Trade of the Eurasian Economic Commission, Andrei Slepnev, reported that in February the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) would hold negotiations with Iran on the creation of a permanent free trade zone (FTZ). An agreement on the creation of a temporary FTA between the EAEU and Iran was signed in 2018 in Astana.

The EAEU, which has been in effect since January 1, 2015, includes Kazakhstan, Russia, Armenia, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan. Free trade zone agreements were signed with Singapore, Serbia and Vietnam.