MOSCOW, September 10 (RIA Novosti) – Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani will discuss a number of international and bilateral issues, including Iran’s nuclear program and possibly ‘oil-for-goods’ projects, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit on September 12, a Kremlin official said Wednesday.
The upcoming SCO summit is due to be held in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, on September 11-12. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are current members of the organization, founded in Shanghai in 2001. Iran holds observer status but is seeking full membership.
“The discussion of urgent international issues, including the progress of Iran’s nuclear program, the situation in Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq as well as the Middle East settlement is planned,” Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said.
Ushakov added that Putin and Rouhani intend to discuss the most important issue of peaceful nuclear cooperation.
Asked if the presidents will discuss the “oil-for-goods” deal during the SCO summit, the Kremlin official referred to talks between the Russian and Iranian energy ministers taking place currently in Tehran.
“I have highlighted the importance of the talks Minister of Energy [of Russia Alexander] Novak is having in Tehran at the moment. He will report the outcome. I will not rule out the possibility that any sensitive issues will be discussed at the presidential level as well,” Ushakov said.
On Tuesday, the Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said that Moscow is not currently negotiating on “oil-for-goods” supplies from Iran, but such a deal is still possible. According to Novak, “there is no such contract and we’re not talking about oil supplies to Russia” but Iran sells its own oil and “Russia suggests permitting its traders to participate in this process”.
Russia and Iran are discussing the deal for the supply of grain in exchange for oil, first deputy CEO of Russia's state-controlled grain trader, United Grain Company (UGC), Andrei Gormakh said on Tuesday. The UGC could supply Iran with 2.1 million tons of grain a year, Gormakh said.
