Putin hails 'strategic' Russia-Iran partnership, commits to growing it
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Russian President Putin emphasizes Moscow's strong support for Iran’s role in the International North-South Transport Corridor.
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Russia's President Vladimir Putin meets with Ali Akbar Ahmadian, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, in Saint Petersburg, Russia on September 12, 2024 (AFP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed the "strategic" partnership between Russia and Iran, highlighting that their friendly relations have grown increasingly in recent years.
Putin made these comments on Thursday while hosting Ali-Akbar Ahmadian, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, at the Konstantinovsky Palace in St. Petersburg. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 14th summit of BRICS high-ranking security officials.
Read more: Iran proposes creation of BRICS security framework
The Russian president attributed the growth of Tehran-Moscow relations to the support of Iranian Leader Sayyed Ali Khamenei, requesting that Ali Akbar Ahmadian convey his warmest regards to the Leader.
Additionally, he said that he plans to meet with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during another BRICS summit later in October. Additionally, Putin noted that Russia is looking forward to Pezeshkian's upcoming visit, during which a joint comprehensive cooperation agreement between the two nations is expected to be signed.
Highlighting that trade between Russia and Iran increased by almost 10% in the first half of 2024, Putin emphasized Russia's strong commitment to collaborating with Iran across all sectors.
Russia's president also mentioned the International North-South Transport Corridor, noting that the project is a key priority for both countries and emphasized Moscow's strong support for Iran’s role in the transportation route.
Read more: China, Russia stood by us, US must draw lessons from past: Pezeshkian
For his part, Ahmadian conveyed Sayyed Khamenei’s greetings to President Putin.
The top Iranian official also affirmed that Iran's new administration remains dedicated to further strengthening its relations with Moscow.
In February, Russian Ambassador to Iran, Alexey Dedov, informed Sputnik that the process of finalizing a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement between Russia and Iran is imminent, with the signing of the document expected soon.
He described it as an "important fundamental document, which may determine Russian-Iranian interaction for the coming years, and perhaps decades."
"We are talking about a new interstate agreement, a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries," Dedov said.
