Tehran, Moscow Favor Closer Interactions

Relations between Iran and Russia need to thrive to gain a strategic status, an Iranian deputy foreign minister said. In a meeting with Deputy Speaker of Russia’s Federation Council Ilyas Umakhanov in Russia, Deputy Foreign Minister for Asia-Pacific Affairs Ebrahim Rahimpour hailed the political will of Iranian and Russian officials for having closer interactions, Tasnim News Agency reported on Thursday. The Iranian official referred to a phone conversation between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, ahead of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries’ meeting in Vienna on Wednesday, which led to a deal to cut oil output. Rahimpour underlined that cooperation and agreements between Tehran and Moscow will have huge impacts on international developments. The top Russian lawmaker said Russia’s Federation Council attaches great significance to stronger collaboration with Iran amid the rapid international upheavals. Just two weeks ago, Chairwoman of the Federation Council of Russia Valentina Ivanovna Matviyenko paid an official visit to Iran for a series of high-profile meetings, including with Rouhani and Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani.