MOSCOW, September 20. /TASS/. Bilateral relations between Moscow and Tehran in the defense sphere have seen an unprecedented expansion over the past decade, Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad-Reza Ashtiani said at a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu.

"Over the past decade, our defense and security relations have undergone unprecedented development. Your visit and the signing of the memorandum of understanding mark the beginning of a completely new, fundamentally new stage in our bilateral relations," he said.

"Our relations are characterized by the support of the leaders of our countries. They guarantee security and stability in the region," the top defense official pointed out. "Your personal role in our bilateral relations is also hard to overestimate," Ashtiani told Shoigu. He pointed out that now "significant changes in the world order" are taking place.

"Many countries have finally started thinking about the creation of a multipolar world order. These countries have started thinking independently, and I am happy to see that there are some European countries among them," the Iranian official emphasized. According to him, "the meetings within the framework of the SCO and BRICS demonstrate that many countries are reorienting themselves towards multipolarity."

The top defense official also noted that "over the past few years, Russia and Iran have significantly expanded their cooperation in many areas." "In particular, I’d like to point to the regional issue, that is, the joint fight against terrorism and extremism," he underscored.

According to Ashtiani’s assessment, with what is happening in the world today, Iran and Russia "saw each and every precondition for creating a strong alliance." "I’m sure that our cooperation will lead to peace and stability in the international arena," the Iranian official said, pointing out that there are many issues on the international and regional agenda that he would like to discuss with the Russian defense minister.