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Iran’s supreme leader stresses importance of developing ties with Russia — Pezeshkian

The Islamic republic’s Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei called Russia "a fraternal and friendly country"

MOSCOW, January 17. /TASS/. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, at a Kremlin meeting about the emphasis the Islamic republic’s Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei places on developing relations with Russia across the board.

"I have held a meeting with the supreme leader, he sent his warmest greetings to you. And he emphasized how important it is to bolster and expand our relations with Russia, a fraternal and friendly country," the Iranian leader stated.

According to Pezeshkian, "The relationship between Iran and Russia is of a strategically important and comprehensive nature."

The two presidents are holding talks at the Kremlin, following which they are expected to sign a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement. The pact is set to be a key milestone in Russia-Iran relations and unlock new opportunities in areas such as defense, counterterrorism, energy, finance, transport, industry, agriculture, culture, science, and technology.

According to Iranian officials, the agreement will be an updated version of the treaty on the basis for mutual relations and the principles of cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation. The 10-year accord has been automatically extended for subsequent five-year periods since it was signed in 2001.

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