Iran-Russia ties expanding in all sectors: Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin has addressed his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi that the preparation of a strategic agreement between Tehran and Moscow is in the final phases, noting that the Iran-Russia relationship is developing in all sectors.
RIA Novosti news agency reported on Thursday that Russian and Iranian presidents held talks on the sidelines of the 22nd summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan's capital.
Russian radio network Sputnik also quoted President Putin as saying that work on the mutual cooperation agreement, which can upgrade bilateral relations to a new level, is coming to an end.
Putin also underlined that his country will do whatever is needed to help Iran join the SCO as a full member, noting that only the last official procedures should be done.
Iran will join the large, powerful, and important international organization, and we all are pleased with the incident, he noted.
Lauding Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei for his support for the progress of many joint projects, Putin expressed hope that Russia will have the Supreme Leader's backing in the future.
The Russian president also pointed to the Iran-Russia trade, which increased 81 percent last year and 30 percent in the first five months of this year, adding that a Russian delegation, consisting of representatives of 80 big companies, will be dispatched to Iran in the next week.
He also said that a crowded delegation of Russian officials traveled to Iran in May and that the Russians expressed surprise at the development of advanced technologies in the Islamic Republic.
According to the Russian chief executive, the regional affiliations are growing and the stances of both Tehran and Moscow are similar in many cases.