Russia ready to grant loan to Iran - deputy finance minister

MOSCOW, February 24. /TASS/. Russia is ready to grant a loan to Iran, the country’s deputy finance minister Sergey Storchak said Wednesday. "The degree of readiness (to grant a loan to Iran) is very high, with one of three issues we haven’t finally accorded yet being the legal implementation of the agreement, which is a separate matter," he said. Last week Storchak said three issues are still open regarding two pilot loans to Iran - on railroad and electric power projects. He added that the two loans are considered as pilot "without any connection with the symbolic sum of $5 bln" (announced earlier as a potential volume of the loan to be granted to Iran - TASS). In November 2015, after the talks between Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani an intention to increase the trade turnover between the countries was announced. Putin declared determination to grant a $5 bln public export loan for financing joint projects. Russia and Iran also agreed a loan for financing the construction of a railroad and thermal stations in Iran during President Putin’s visit to Tehran. Read more