COMPETITION AUTHORITIES OF RUSSIA AND IRAN ARE AIMED AT JOINT WORK WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF BRICS

A bilateral meeting between Petr Ivanov, Deputy Head of FAS Russia, and Seyed Mohammad Reza Seyed Nourani, Chairman of the National Competition Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran, was held in Tehran (Iran)

During the meeting, the parties discussed the main activities of the antimonopoly authorities of Russia and Iran, as well as exchanged views on the prospects for cooperation, including within the framework of BRICS.

Deputy Head of FAS Russia spoke about the development of competition policy in Russia and expanded on the most interesting topics for the Iranian side.

In particular, they discussed the regulation of natural monopolies and control over the activities of economic entities in commodity markets.

The speaker also told about one of the key activities of the authority – development of guidelines and various documents, including with the participation of the business community.

For example, in 2022, FAS Russia and the largest IT companies signed the Principles of Interaction between Participants in Digital Markets. The document is aimed at creating an institution of self-regulation. According to it, market participants voluntarily undertake not to carry out unfair practices towards consumers or competitors.

During the meeting, representatives of the competition authorities of Russia and Iran agreed to continue exchanging information on changes in the antimonopoly legislation of both countries. In addition, practical cooperation will be developed when considering global transactions of economic concentration and international cases of violation of antimonopoly legislation.

The parties also discussed the possibility of holding joint events and internships to improve the skills of employees of agencies, including on the basis of the Training Center of FAS Russia in Kazan.

Besides, Deputy Head of FAS Russia suggested considering the possibility of organizing a round table for representatives of Iranian business working in the Russian Federation. Such an event will allow business representatives to learn about the latest trends in Russian legislation, the specifics of antimonopoly regulation, control of public procurement, foreign investment, unfair competition, regulation of advertising activities.

During the meeting, the participation of the Iranian colleagues in the joint activities of the BRICS antimonopoly regulators was also discussed. Petr Ivanov congratulated the Iranian side on its planned entry into BRICS on January 1, 2024* and expressed the readiness of FAS Russia to assist in joint work within the framework of the association. In particular, in the BRICS Coordinating Committee on Antimonopoly Policy, as well as the BRICS Working Groups on Cartels and for research of Competition Issues in Socially Important Markets.

The importance of developing cooperation within the framework of international organizations, in particular the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) was noted. The possibility of developing global UN standards for international cooperation in the investigation of cross-border cartels is being discussed at this platform.

At the end of the meeting, the parties expressed the focus of the competition authorities of Russia and Iran on close cooperation in all possible areas of bilateral and multilateral cooperation.

* On August 23-24, 2023, the XV BRICS Summit was held in Johannesburg. As a result of the summit, the Johannesburg Declaration of the BRICS member countries was adopted. In accordance with this document, the Leaders of the BRICS countries decided to expand the interstate association and include six new countries, including the Islamic Republic of Iran (along with the Argentine Republic, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Democratic Republic of Ethiopia), as of January 1, 2024.

For reference:

The negotiations were held as part of the implementation of the provisions of the Memorandum of Understanding in the field of competition policy between FAS Russia and the National Competition Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran, signed in Moscow on March 9, 2023