Iran and Russia will expand bilateral ties

Both Iran’s President and Russia’s Prime Minister celebrated bilateral ties as beneficial to both countries. 

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev discussed the expansion of bilateral ties during a Monday meeting in Moscow.

“Currently, a good atmosphere dominates relations between two capitals and no doubt, this visit can significantly help better, deeper ties between Tehran and Moscow,” said Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, according to the semi-official Iranian Fars News Agency.

Rouhani also favors deepening bilateral ties “in political, economic, cultural and international issues.”

Before leaving for Moscow, the president of the regime in Tehran had “deemed the expansion of Iran-Russia relations as beneficial to the two countries’ nations,” adding “these relations are not against the interests of any third country.”

Iran and Russia are expected to sign more than a dozen bilateral agreements during Rouhani’s visit. The Islamic Republic News Agency reported the Industrial Development and Renovation Organization of Iran signed a memorandum of understanding with Russia’s largest company in the railway machine-building market, Transmashholding.

According to the MOU, the two sides will team up in Iran’s wagon manufacturing industry, financed by Russian capital.

Russia and Iran back the Syrian government in the country’s six-year old civil war. Israel has conveyed to Russia that the opening of a new Iranian-backed front from Syria would be detrimental to its national security interests. Russia frequently conveys messages between Israel and Iran.

By: Jonathan Benedek, World Israel News