MOSCOW, January 15. /TASS/. A draft of the major intergovernmental partnership treaty between Russia and Iran stipulates an unconditional mutual respect regarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of both states and this provision will be confirmed by both Moscow and Tehran, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Monday.

According to the ministry’s press office, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu discussed bilateral military-technical cooperation with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad-Reza Ashtiani over the phone earlier in the day.

"Today, the Russian Defense Minister, Army General Sergey Shoigu, held a telephone conversation with the Minister of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Brigadier General Mohammad-Reza Ashtiani," the ministry’s statement reads.

"Both sides stressed their commitment to the fundamental principles of the Russian-Iranian relations, including unconditional respect for each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, which will be confirmed in the major intergovernmental treaty between Russia and Iran as this document is being finalized already," according to the statement.

The ministry added that a telephone conversation between the top defense officials of Russia and Iran was held "in a friendly atmosphere marking another step in the strengthening of strategic relations between the two countries."

On October 23, 2023, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that the Russian-Iranian treaty on comprehensive strategic partnership was approximately 85% ready. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry’s official spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, "this fundamental interstate document could be signed during one of the upcoming high-level contacts.".