Press center

07.11.2025

The Consul General of Iran in Astrakhan Got Acquainted with the Operations of Special Economic Zone Lotus

A delegation headed by Ahmad Heydarian, the Consul General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Astrakhan, visited Special Economic Zone Lotus, where they got acquainted with the infrastructure and production sites of the tenants. They were accompanied by Ilya Toropitsyn, Deputy Minister of External Relations of the Astrakhan Region, and Alexander Kim, Director General of SEZ Lotus JSC.

 During the visit to Lotos Shipyard, part of the Southern Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Center of the USC, the delegation reviewed the production facilities of the shipyard, which is currently building four dry-cargo and container vessels.

 On the outfitting quay of the plant, the Consul General of Iran in Astrakhan boarded the dry-cargo vessel “Kaspiyskiy Bereg”, which is preparing for sea trials. The vessel is designed for transporting various types of cargo – general cargo, bulk cargo, grain, timber and oversized cargo, as well as hazardous cargo. “Kaspiyskiy Bereg” will carry out cargo transportation across the Caspian Sea between Astrakhan and Iran.

 Another major project at the plant is a self-propelled cutter-suction dredger with a mechanized cutter head, designed for carrying out dredging operations including the excavation of silt, sand and sand-gravel soils. In addition, Lotos Shipyard is preparing to hand over a chemical tanker to the customer.

 Members of the delegation visited the production facilities of Gexa-Lotos LLC, where they got acquainted with the full cycle of geosynthetic fabric manufacturing. This product is used in various fields – from road construction to agriculture. Modern equipment enables production of up to 250 tonnes of finished product per month. The plant operates on a zero-waste principle: off-cuts of polymer filaments are shredded and sent back into the production of geotextile fabric.

 At the conclusion of the visit the guests acquainted themselves with the under-construction detergents plant of the company “Roza” – the first Russian project of the large Iranian holding Golrang Industrial Group. The enterprise will produce washing powders, shampoos, gels and other household products. The launch of production is scheduled for early 2027, and investment in the project has exceeded 1.2 billion rubles.

 The Consul General of the Islamic Republic of Iran noted that the successful launch and operation of the enterprise will serve as good publicity and an impetus for attracting new Iranian investors to the Astrakhan Region.

 At the conclusion of the meeting, Alexander Kim, Director General of the Management Company of SEZ Lotus, thanked the guests for the visit.

 “Special Economic Zone Lotus strives to create convenient conditions for investors and tenants, including Iranian companies, opening new opportunities for industrial growth and technology exchange. I am confident that our region and Iran await successful joint projects and prospective economic cooperation. I would like to thank the Government of the Astrakhan Region and the Consulate General for their active stance in developing our mutual ties and readiness for fruitful collaboration”.