TEHRAN (Transatlantic Today) – Prior to a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi suggested his travel to Moscow might represent a “turning point” in bilateral ties between the two countries. Before flying to Moscow for a two-day visit on Wednesday, the Iranian President hailed Iran and Russia as powerful, autonomous, and influential countries in the area that could improve their trade and security by keeping close ties, according to Al Jazeera.
Raisi went on to say that neither Iran nor Russia are satisfied with their existing level of ties, and that they both want to utilize this visit to improve things.
According to the president, political, economic, energy, trade, and space concerns would be discussed in Moscow.
Their prior 20-year agreement came to an end last year, and while it was due to be automatically extended for another 5 years, all parties decided that it needed to be improved.
Raisi and Putin were supposed to meet in September on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) conference in Tajikistan, but Putin had to cancel due to a COVID-19 outbreak among his officials.
Iran’s bid to join the SCO as a full member was approved with the support of all seven permanent members at the time, indicating a diplomatic win under the harsh US sanctions imposed against it in 2018, when then-US President Donald Trump pulled from the Iran nuclear deal.
In lieu of sanctions relief, Trump’s successor, Joe Biden, has offered to resurrect the groundbreaking 2015 deal that put a lid on Tehran’s nuclear development.
Raisi is in Moscow with his foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, his economy minister, Ehsan Khandoozi, and his petroleum minister, Javad Owji.
Raisi will speak to Russia’s lower house of parliament, the Duma, on Thursday, in what will be the first visit by an Iranian president to Russia since 2017.
He’ll also meet with a group of Iranians who live in Russia and attend a meeting with Russian entrepreneurs.
The visit takes place while talks in Vienna continue to repair the 2015 nuclear deal between global powers, including the United States.
Russia has stated repeatedly that it favors the reinstatement of the historic agreement as well as the complete withdrawal of US restrictions that are incompatible with it.
Iran has expressed interest in obtaining modern Russian weapons, such as fighter planes, helicopters, and tanks, when a United Nations embargo on Iran’s acquisition of conventional arms expired in October 2020, over US concerns.