MOSCOW, March 29. /TASS/. Successful anti-terrorist cooperation between Russia and Iran has become the groundwork for developing bilateral relations in various areas, including in the economic and humanitarian fields, Russian senator Konstantin Kosachev told TASS.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev shed light on "the future of successful anti-terrorist cooperation in Syria of the two powers that differ so much," said Kosachev, who chairs Russia’s Federation Council International Affairs Committee.
The talks showed that "combat brotherhood" of the two countries in Syria has been supported at the highest level, Kosachev pointed out.
Russia and Iran also signed an accord on visa-free group tours that aims at boosting cultural and humanitarian cooperation between the two countries as well as at creating conditions for boosting tourist exchange.
"This is not only about the symbolic lifting of visa requirements for tourist groups, but about outlining a free trade zone between Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union," the senator noted.
"Many expected that everything on the free trade zone would be agreed already during this visit, but I think, simply there was not enough time," Kosachev said, recalling that the sides signed 16 deals and reached important agreements in energy.
The sides also confirmed that their positions coincide on many international issues. This means that "a stepping stone has been made and trajectories have been outlined, and more things are done for people, from visa-free regime to sports and cultural exchanges."
"All this indicated the sides’ wish not to be limited by trade turnover figures, but to broaden and deepen cooperation," he said.
Rouhani paid a two-day visit to Russia and held talks with Medvedev and Putin. In a joint statement, Putin and Rouhani said "the parties welcomed the soonest possible completion of preparatory work for signing the temporary agreement between member-states of the Eurasian Economic Union and Iran, leading to the establishment of the free trade zone." Russia and Iran also discussed extension of cooperation in supplies of hydrocarbons, even to third countries.