Iran president assures Tehran-Moscow cooperation can thwart cruel Western-imposed sanctions

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reiterated the expansion of relations with Russia in various fields can thwart the “sanctions and excessive demands” of the United States and Western countries.

News ID: 5799

Date: 18 January 2025 - 09:32

TABNAK, Jan 18: In a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in Moscow on Friday, Pezeshkian said Iran and Russia enjoy various capacities to boost cooperation.

“Iran and Russia can have extensive cooperation in the fields of roads, education, trade, and other areas, and this cooperation can neutralize the sanctions and extremism of the United States and Western countries,” he said.

He said Tehran is determined to expand relations with Moscow, emphasizing that the signing of a long-awaited comprehensive strategic partnership agreement between the two sides will open a “new chapter” in mutual ties.

The Iranian president and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are expected to sign the agreement in Moscow later in the day. The two presidents held talks earlier on Friday.

The new 20-year agreement on a comprehensive strategic partnership between Iran and Russia covers the sectors of economy, transportation, energy, health, and agriculture.

The agreement also covers Tehran-Moscow cooperation in the face of common challenges, including natural disasters, organized crimes, and terrorism.

Iran and Russia are both subject to illegal Western sanctions. They have over the past years deepened their cooperation in various sectors.

The Russian prime minister, for his part, highlighted the significance of the strategic partnership cooperation and said the two countries are expanding relations in a host of fields.

Referring to the importance of accelerating the implementation of the Rasht-Astara railway section under the North-South international transport corridor project, Mishustin expressed hope that the project will be completed as scheduled.

The 162-kilometer Rasht-Astara railway is a strategic transport corridor that will connect the Iranian city of Rasht, near the Caspian Sea, to Astara on the border with Azerbaijan.

The project, which is aimed at integrating the transport and information routes of Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran and India, is carried out within the framework of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).

Mishustin expressed his country’s readiness to export gas to Iran and noted that talks have been held with the Iranian oil minister in this regard.