Iran Press/ Commentary: Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian expressed hope in a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday, stating that the high-ranking delegations of the two countries are exchanging views on various issues at different levels.
He further expressed hope that the legal department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the two countries will make the final revision of the long-term cooperation agreement in less than a month.
Lavrov also expressed his satisfaction with the fruitful cooperation between Iran and Russia in regional and international fields.
This is Amir- Abdollahian's fourth visit to Moscow after being appointed as Iran's Minister of Foreign Affairs in President Raisi's government. For; He visited Russia for the third time in September last year during his trip to Moscow to hold a meeting with Lavrov.
The relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation are of great importance for various reasons, including the neighborhood through the Caspian Sea and regional concerns and commonalities, as well as international cooperation.
Iran, Russia ties on right track
Based on this, the recent visit of Iran's foreign minister to Russia, which was carried out in continuation of the consultations between the authorities of the two countries, is important from different aspects.
Iran and Russia, which are determined to strengthen relations in all aspects, are simultaneously under sanctions from the West, especially the United States, which, of course, has increased the motivation of the authorities of the two countries to strengthen bilateral, multilateral, and regional cooperation.
Iran and Russia also have a common point of view on many regional and international developments, including the issues of Central Asia, the Caucasus, Afghanistan, Yemen, Iraq, and Syria, and dealing with terrorism.
And in this regard, a quadrilateral meeting of Iran, Russia, Syria, and Türkiye at the level of deputy foreign ministers is scheduled to be held in Moscow next week, aimed at bringing closer the views of Syria and Türkiye.
In the field of bilateral relations, Iran and Russia have on their agenda the development of relations in the form of a long-term cooperation agreement and the removal of some obstacles, including weak infrastructure, financial resources, and investment; Also, joint economic plans in the fields of banking and transit are among the issues of interest to the authorities of the two countries; On this basis, Russia’s Mir Payment Network and the Shetab banking network of Iran are supposed to be connected, and the connection of these two banking networks can remove many obstacles, including for the businessmen of the two countries.
Lavrov: Iran, Russia negotiations active, dynamic
The issue of transit development between Iran and Russia and the activation of the North-South corridor is also one of the important projects of the two countries, which with the establishment of the Rasht-Astara railway line can play a central role in connecting Iran's Bandar Abbas and Chabahar ports to Moscow in Russia. This trade route of about 3,000 kilometers enables the two countries to transfer all kinds of products to buyers in the growing economies of Asia through land and sea routes that are far from the reach of the West.
In this regard, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia emphasized the importance of implementing the agreements between the two countries in the field of transportation and transit and the strategic role of the North-South Corridor and voiced Russia's readiness to cooperate in completing this corridor.
Therefore, the common interests between Iran and Russia, considering the goals and political positions as well as the capacities of the two countries, especially in the field of oil and gas, industry, and the North-South corridor, are very large, and these common interests require continuous consultations between the authorities of the two countries. Hence; the recent visit of Iran's Foreign Minister to Russia can be evaluated in the same framework and as an effective measure for further convergence of the two countries.
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