Iran’s Mazandaran Province and Russia’s Astrakhan Region agree on sports cooperation

ASTRAKHAN, February 18. /TASS/. Authorities of Iran’s northern Mazandaran Province and the Ministry of Physical Culture and Sport of Russia’s Astrakhan Region signed a cooperation agreement in the sphere of sports on Wednesday during a visit of the Iranian delegation to the southern Russian region. Oleg Dementyev, the Astrakhan Region physical culture and sport minister, told TASS that the agreement stipulates exchange of sports experience between the Russian and Iranian regions and friendly matches as well. "Iran is mainly developing handball, football and wrestling and that is why we propose exchanging experience at least in these three sports," Dementyev said. "It will all depend on how active Iran will be." Ali Ehsani, a deputy governor general of Mazandaran, invited colleagues from the Astrakhan Region to pay a visit to his region and draft there a list of possible events under the signed agreement. "Mazandaran Province has been very successful in the sphere of sports and is actually ranked among top places in our country," Ehsani said. "I am positive that our relations in sports will boost our cooperation in other spheres." The Iranian delegation from Mazandaran arrived in the Astrakhan Region on Monday for a four-day official visit. The Iranian delegates took part in sessions of working groups in the spheres of industry, agriculture, tourism, infrastructure development of sea ports, customs and airports. The Astrakhan Region’s trade with Iran in 2014 totaled $241.8 million, with the export volume standing at $181.4 million and import at 60.4 million. Read more