Iran, Russia should foster cooperation amid Western sanctions: Raeisi to Putin

President Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi on Wednesday called for joint efforts to offset Western sanctions on Iran and Russia as he met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during an official visit to Moscow.

Speaking face to face with Putin in the Kremlin, Raeisi said Iran and Russia have an opportunity to strengthen cooperation against the backdrop of the West’s unilateral pressure.

“We have been resisting the United States for more than 40 years and we will never stop making progress and developing the country in the face of sanctions or threats,” Raeisi said, according to RIA Novosti.

He added that Iran is doing its utmost to get US sanctions lifted.

Raeisi said Iran seeks to maintain its cordial relations with Russia “stable and comprehensive”.

He noted that prospects of economic cooperation are “optimistic” and stressed that the level of trade and economic interactions between the two nations “can grow several times”.

Raeisi added there is no hindrance lying in the way of improvement of relations between Iran and Russia.

The Iranian president referred to the cooperation with Russia to help Syria fight a ten-year foreign-backed militancy.

“We have very good experience of cooperation with the Russian Federation in Syria… in the fight against terrorism… Such very good experience can create opportunities for us to apply it in many other areas,” Raeisi pointed out.

Putin hailed the two countries’ trade ties during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said Moscow and Tehran managed to adequately overcome the difficulties caused by the pandemic in the economic sector.

“I would like to note that, despite the pandemic, the year before last year we saw, though small, a growth of 6% in trade, and last year over 38%,” Putin said.

The Russian president said Moscow and Tehran cooperate “very closely” on the international arena.

He pointed to Syria, saying that Damascus managed to overcome “terror threats” that gripped the Arab country in 2011, largely due to assistance from Moscow and Tehran.

“Thanks to our efforts, we managed to significantly help the Syrian government to overcome threats, related to international terrorism,” Putin said, according to TASS.

He further expressed concern about the situation in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover of the country in August 2021.

“Now, of course, both we and you are concerned about the situation that is developing in Afghanistan. I would like to discuss all these issues with you, to know your position on this problem,” Putin said.

Raeisi arrived in the Russian capital on Wednesday for a two-day visit. He will address a plenary session of the Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, meet with Iranian expats in Russia, and sit down for talks with Russian businessmen.

Source: Iran Daily