Iran and Russia have plans to finalize a comprehensive cooperation agreement between the two countries in late October.
During a meeting of the high-ranking delegations of Iran and Russia in Tehran on Monday, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said that the comprehensive agreement has been signed by the Russian president, expressing hope for the final signing of the document on the sidelines of a BRICS Summit due to be held in Kazan in October 22-24.
He also said that Iran and Russia have agreed upon 13 cooperation agreements on different areas in an earlier joint cooperation commission which he said have to be finalized during this visit to Tehran.
The official added that with an agreement on exports of Russian gas to Iran which was signed few months ago, Iran will turn into a gas hub in the region.
Both sides highlighted the significance of a strategically important International North-South Transit Corridor (INSTC) which they believed could play a key role in promotion of regional transportation, including the access of the Eurasian countries to Iranian southern ports and the Indian Ocean.
Also speaking during a meeting, Iran’s First Vice President Mohammadreza Aref stressed that expansion of cooperation with Moscow is a top priority of the Iranian administration under President Masoud Pezeshkian.
He also urged the necessity for Iran and Russia to exchange views to help solve a dispute over plans to launch Zangzur corridor along Iran’s joint border with Armenia, highlighting that any change in the borders and the geopolitics of the region would lead to further tensions and would pave the way for the abuse of extra-regional players.
Referring to a $2.5 billion trade volume between Iran and Russia, the vice president said that the bilateral relations between the two countries have to further increase.