TEHRAN, October 25. /TASS/. Russia may help Iran reduce its dependence on its southern ports, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hamid Ghanbari said.

"Russia could become a supplier of essential goods, help reduce Iran’s dependence on southern ports, and facilitate trade with fewer banking restrictions," the Iranian state television quoted him as saying.

According to the senior Iranian diplomat, broad cooperation with Russia is possible, with the North-South transport corridor and the Resht-Astara railway, a project that is currently moving forward, serving as a basis for that. He also noted that the country’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, is scheduled to travel to Russia to participate in a gas forum.

He called China and Russia his country’s strategic partners in the economy and politics. He recalled that China has repeatedly voted in favor of Iran in the UN Security Council and objected to the United States’ idea the snapback mechanism, a process designed to restore UN sanctions on Iran.