In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkiyan signed a strategic partnership agreement, which includes closer defense cooperation, which is likely to cause concern in the West.
Pezeshkiyan is visiting the Kremlin for the first time since becoming president last July, and at a meeting ahead of the signing of the agreement, he said he thought the two leaders would be able to finalize an agreement to build a nuclear power plant in Iran with Russia’s help.
Putin welcomed Pezeshkian in the Kremlin, where they sat down at a decorated table, next to which the flags of the two countries were placed.
“We will discuss all areas of our cooperation and sign an agreement on a comprehensive strategic partnership,” Putin said.
“We have been working on it for a long time and I am very pleased that the work is completed,” he said, adding that the agreement should further strengthen trade and economic ties.
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Moscow has been building closer relations with Iran and other countries hostile to the United States, such as North Korea, and already has strategic pacts with Pyongyang and close ally Belarus, as well as a strategic partnership agreement with China.
The 20-year deal between Russia and Iran is not expected to include a mutual defense provision like those agreed with Minsk and Pyongyang, but is still likely to worry the West, which sees both countries as damaging influences on the world stage.
Moscow and Tehran claim that their rapprochement is not directed against other countries.
Russia made extensive use of Iranian drones during the war in Ukraine, and the US accused Tehran in September of sending short-range ballistic missiles to Russia for use against Ukraine.
Tehran denies sending drones or missiles.
The Kremlin refused to confirm that it had received Iranian missiles, but admitted that cooperation with Iran includes “the most sensitive areas”.
(Vijesti.ba/HINA)
