MOSCOW - Iran will be granted observer state status in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), local media quoted Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin as saying on Tuesday.

"The focus is on strengthening the EAEU's external ties. The circle of observer states is expanding. In addition to Uzbekistan and Cuba, Iran will also receive this status," Mishustin told the Russian newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

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Launched on Jan 1, 2015, the EAEU currently includes five member states: Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Armenia.

Mishustin noted that the EAEU has free trade agreements with four countries and is negotiating with more nations to boost exports of EAEU goods and ensure competitively priced imports from non-member states.