Advisor to the vice president for science and technology affairs stated: Iranian creative and knowledge-based companies will travel to Russia along with the vice president for science and technology affairs to develop scientific and technological cooperation between the two countries.

According to the public relations and information center of the Vice-Presidency for science and technology affairs, Parviz Karami, advisor to the vice president for science and technology affairs, expressed about sending a commercial delegation to Russia: with the support of the international exchange center of the Vice-Presidency and Iran national innovation fund, a high-ranking commercial and technological Iranian delegation will travel to Russia July 9^th-14^th, 2019 to evaluate the bilateral cooperation conditions of the two countries.

He added: this business delegation encompasses the representatives of knowledge-based companies. In this travel, bilateral and face-to-face meetings will be held with the Russian party.

According to Karami, these meetings are held to increase scientific and technological cooperation and familiarity of both parties with their technological capacities. In addition, visiting Russia’s center is another program of travel.

He also asserted: as one of the largest countries of the world, Russia is one of the major countries in the Eurasian region. With a population of 147 million people and access to a population of 290 million people in the CIS region, Russia has a strategic position in the region. Therefore, the business between Iran and Russia has a great export potential for Iranian knowledge-based companies.

Head of the information and communications center of the Vice-Presidency continued: Iran"s $ 300 million exports to Russia and Iran"s $ 1.3 billion import from Russia in 2018 indicate the need for a new policy to restore Iran"s trade balance.

He added: therefore, using the capacity of knowledge-based companies to improve the commercial balance with Russia is required as a solution. In addition, 111 knowledge-based companies were able to export 351 billion dollars of advanced products and technologies to the CIS area over the past four years.

In another part of his speech, Sattari affirmed: with regard to cooperation between Iran and Russia, this delegation will travel to Russia on July 9^th 2019 encompassing various members such as CEOs of 70 knowledge-based companies in different technology areas by the presidency of the vice president for science and technology affairs and accompanying of representatives from ministry of foreign affairs, business development organization, Iran national innovation fund, ministry of science, research and technology, and ministry of health.

Secretary of the knowledge-based economy and culture-building technologies development headquarter also mentioned: the travel of knowledge-based companies to Russia will be carried out concomitantly with INNOPROM-2019 exhibition in Russia, where the representatives of knowledge-based companies of the two countries will meet with their counterparts in Moscow and Yekaterinburg.