Russia welcomed as partner in Shiraz Metro project: Iranian official
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An Iranian official welcomes any partnership with Russia regarding the subway project in Shiraz and considers it could be the first step towards long-term cooperation in many fields.
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One of Shiraz subway stations
Iran welcomes cooperation regarding its plan to expand the metro infrastructure in Shiraz province and Russians could be trusted partners in this endeavor, adviser to the governor of Iran's Fars (Pars) Province Mojtaba Binazadeh said to Sputnik on Sunday.
In response to a question about whether Russian experts could be part of the metro expansion, Binazadeh told the Russian news outlet that he thinks that, "any partnership requires trust. That is why, if Russians commit to the partnership regardless of the situation, it will be the best alternative that we have now."
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The Iranian official, who is also the head of the cooperation in education and science department at Shiraz University, added that Russian, "exporters could come to Iran and found companies to share technologies... It would lead to the establishment of infrastructure that would be the first step toward a long-term cooperation," as he stressed that both countries would benefit in collaborating in this field.
Binazadeh confirmed the historic ties between the two nations.
"About 100-200 years ago, Russians came to Iran. And I have friends who have, for example, a Russian grandmother. Thus, Iranians have more cultural ties with Russia than with other countries," he told RIA Novosti.
The construction phase of the Shiraz Metro project was initially launched back in 2001 and the first line took off in 2014, where currently two new lines are being built in addition to three lines being planned.
The two heavily sanctioned countries have expedited and expanded plans in the past few years to elevate their relations to the level of a strategic partnership in many different areas.
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Earlier in July, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov highlighted that "Iran is an important partner of Russia, relations are of a friendly nature, have a long history, and are developing very effectively in the widest range of areas. Both sides have plans to bring bilateral cooperation to a new level — the level of strategic partnership."
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