Iran and Russia maintain strategic relations that span various fields, from bilateral cooperation to joint initiatives within BRICS. This partnership will soon be formalized through a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement between the two nations, as announced by Mohammad Reza Sabouri, Iran's ambassador to Italy, in an interview with TASS.
“The relationship between Iran and Russia has a long history of cooperation on issues of mutual interest. Let us not forget that even before the Ukrainian crisis, joint actions by Iran and Russia contributed to a more stable global oil market. Additionally, with the collaboration of several other nations, a 'gas OPEC' was formed to allow member countries greater control over their resources and the revenues they generate,” Sabouri stated.
According to the ambassador, economic cooperation lies at the heart of the Iran-Russia partnership, encompassing numerous agreements in trade and nuclear energy production for Iran. These topics, he said, were a focus of recent discussions between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Masoud Pezeshkian at the BRICS summit in Kazan. “The strategic agreement, its formalization in the near future, the North-South Corridor, railway cooperation, and gas transport were key points of discussion,” Sabouri noted.
He added, “Within BRICS, we aim to establish a fair multilateral global order. Economically, both our efforts and those of Russia are geared toward countering unilateral US policies, the dominance of the dollar in the global economy, and US-imposed unilateral sanctions. In BRICS, we share a common goal with Russia to foster stability through strengthened inter-member relations.”
A shared priority for Iran and Russia is countering Western sanctions, particularly “illegal US sanctions that impede investment projects at power plants.” The ambassador believes that Iran and Russia have the resources and potential to become self-sufficient and less reliant on the external world.
“A shared understanding of the Western threat of unilateralism and its quest for dominance enables our nations to effectively cooperate in opposing sanctions. Efforts to meet raw material needs in the wake of recent anti-Russian sanctions, connecting our banking systems, and the idea of a unified BRICS currency all illustrate Tehran and Moscow's commitment to overcoming sanctions,” Sabouri concluded.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
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Based on materials from TASS