Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed condolences to the leadership of Iran following the passing of President Ebrahim Raisi. The telegram, published on the Kremlin website, conveyed Putin's heartfelt sympathies to the Iranian people.
"Please accept deep condolences in connection with the great tragedy that befell the people of the Islamic Republic of Iran - the airplane crash that claimed the life of President Seyed Ebrahim Raisi, as well as the lives of other prominent statesmen of your country," the telegram reads.
Putin fondly remembered his interactions with President Raisi, stating, "I had the opportunity to meet Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi on several occasions, and I will forever cherish the brightest memory of this remarkable man." He extended his sincere sympathy and support to Raisi's family, friends, and all those affected by the tragedy, wishing them mental fortitude in coping with such an irreparable loss.
"Seyed Ebrahim Raisi was an outstanding politician whose entire life was dedicated to serving the homeland. He rightfully enjoyed high respect from his compatriots and considerable authority abroad. As a true friend of Russia, he made an invaluable personal contribution to the development of good-neighborly relations between our countries, making great efforts to elevate them to the level of strategic partnership," the telegram further expressed.
Putin and Raisi last met in person in Moscow on December 7, 2023, during the BRICS online summit in November. Prior to that, they had encountered each other in September 2022 in Samarkand on the sidelines of the SCO summit. During these encounters, they acknowledged the flourishing cooperation between Moscow and Tehran across various domains and the convergence of their positions on numerous international issues.
Since the beginning of 2024, the presidents of Russia and Iran have conversed by phone twice, with their most recent discussion occurring on April 16.
Throughout Raisi's tenure, which commenced in the summer of 2021, he and Putin engaged in a total of five face-to-face meetings, including interactions at international events, and a dozen and a half telephone conversations.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS