All news

Iranian parliament speaker to meet with Lavrov, security chief on Tuesday

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf is currently on a visit to Russia

MOSCOW, February 8. /TASS/. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, currently on a visit to Russia, will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolai Patrushev on Tuesday, speaker of Russia’s Federation Council upper parliament house, Valentina Matviyenko, said on Monday.

"Although brief, your visit is very busy. I know that you have had fruitful talks with my colleague, State Duma (lower parliament house) speaker Vyacheslav Volodin. Tomorrow’s agenda includes talks with Foreign Minister Lavrov and Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, she said during a meeting with Ghalibaf.

"But I want you to promise that you will find another possibility to come to Russia again (I sincerely invite you) to make a trip to one or two our regions," she noted.

The Iranian speaker, in turn, noted smilingly that he is ready to come to Russia again after Matviyenko visits Iran.

The Russian upper house speaker stressed that Iran is Russia’s long-time and close partner and Russia "is interested to develop comprehensive cooperation with Iran, regardless of the external situation." "I would like to note that our inter-parliamentary cooperation is developing steadily and meaningfully. We have one of the biggest groups of friendship with the Iranian parliament," she said.

Matviyenko also congratulated Ghalibaf on Iran’s upcoming national holiday, Islamic Revolution Day. She stressed that Russia appreciates the fact that Ghalibaf had opted to pay his first visit as parliament speaker to Russia. "We are glad that despite the pandemic, you are paying your official visit. It is a confirmation of the interest in the development of our interstate, inter-parliamentary ties," she stressed.