Tehran and Moscow discuss record trade amid increasing sanctions

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
14 Mar 2023 16:10

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian discuss, via phone, topics of trade, bilateral ties, forthcoming meetings, and Ukraine.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov shakes hands with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian following talks in Moscow on March 15, 2022 (AP).

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) announced in a statement that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, through a phone conversation, voiced their satisfaction that despite Western sanctions, Moscow and Tehran were able to reach record levels in bilateral trade.

"A number of issues on the bilateral agenda were discussed. The sides noted the strengthening of the positive dynamics in the development of Russian-Iranian multifaceted cooperation. They expressed satisfaction with the achieved record levels of trade turnover, despite illegitimate unilateral sanctions against our countries," the Russian MFA said.

Moreover, the two FMs discussed significant regional and global issues and confirmed their mutual interest in "continuing close coordination, including in the framework of upcoming face-to-face contacts between the two ministers."

The Iranian Foreign Ministry, in turn, stated that the two top diplomats discussed the forthcoming meeting in Moscow between Syria, Russia, Iran, and Turkey as well as the restoration of Iranian-Saudi diplomatic relations. Furthermore, Amir-Abdollohian and Lavrov also touched on the situation in Ukraine and Tehran's ties to the International Atomic Energy Agency.