MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak discussed trade ties and investment cooperation with his Iranian counterpart Reza Ardakanian by telephone on Friday, Russia’s energy ministry said.
The ministry added that they had discussed cooperation in the energy, agricultural and transport sectors.
Iran’s Energy Ministry said on its website: “In this conversation, agreements were also reached on the purchase of some basic goods by Iran from Russia.”
The ministry report gave no further details about the purchases.
Earlier in May, traders and Iranian officials said Iran was scrambling to buy millions of tonnes of wheat, corn and soybeans to shore up its reserves, despite President Hassan Rouhani’s assertions that the coronavirus would not endanger food supplies to the Middle Eastern country worst hit by the pandemic.
(Reporting by Polina Devitt, additional reporting by Dubai newsroom; writing by Tom Balmforth; editing by Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber)
