Iran to Purchase 12 Russian Passenger Aircraft: Novak


TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran has expressed willingness to buy 12 Russian Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ100) airliners, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said.

"Iran is interested in acquiring 12 Sukhoi Superjet 100 planes soon," Novak told Rossiya 24 broadcaster on Wednesday.

The SSJ100 is a twin-engine regional passenger plane made by Russia's Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company. The aircraft can transport up to 98 passengers at a distance of up to 2,700 miles, and costs around $36 million in its basic configuration.

Elsewhere, the Russian minister said the value of potential oil and gas agreements between Tehran and Moscow could be put at $20 billion.

"The potential of agreements in this sphere could be valued at $20 billion," he said.

On Tuesday, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zangeneh announced that the country plans to sign a deal with Moscow within the next two weeks to sell 100,000 barrels per day of oil to Moscow.

Briefing the media on his meeting with Novak in Tehran, Zangeneh said the deal would provide Iran with an opportunity to find new customers.

The minister said that Russia had expressed willingness to cooperate with Iran for long-term regulation of the country’s oil market.

"During the meeting, we agreed to hold a workshop in Moscow over the next few weeks on the new model of Iranian oil contracts,” he said.