Pavel Kalmychek, Director of the Department for the Development of Bilateral Cooperation at the Russian Ministry of Economic Development, made the remarks in a specialized meeting on Iran-Russia relations.

The Russian official pointed to the implementation of the bilateral agreement to abolish the visa requirement for group tours to Iran as of August 1, 2023, noting that the issue of setting up a direct flight from the North Caucasus to Iran is being studied at the federal level in Russia, and that the Russian authorities will also examine similar flights from other Russian territories.

The Russian director further described Iran as a very important partner and a friend of Russia, saying that Moscow is trying to benefit from Iran’s experiences in dodging sanctions, and that it is seeking to expand collaborations in all sectors of economy, logistics, and transportation with the Islamic Republic.

For his part, Iran’s Ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali emphasized that various companies of both countries can separately work on the plan to set up this direct flight, and that Tehran prioritizes the establishment of the direct flight from Kazan to Iran.

Different cities such as Shiraz, Isfahan, Rasht and Tabriz are capable of setting up direct flights to Russian cities, he said, adding that southern islands in Iran enjoy proper potential to absorb Russian tourists.

The specialized meeting was held on the sidelines of the 15th International Economic Summit under the theme “Russia-Islamic World: Kazan Forum,” which was opened in the city of Kazan on May 25