Iran, Russia Ink Document For Military Cooperation
Iran’s Minister of Defense Brigadier General HosseinDehqan and his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoygusigned an agreement here on Tuesday for bilateral cooperation on military and defense activities.
The Russian minister arrived in Tehran Monday night heading a ranking defense delegation. He is in Iran upon an invitation of his Iranian counterpart.
Based on the agreement, Tehran and Moscow are to improve bilateral relations and the level of their military and defense cooperation to safeguard regional and international peace, security and stability and fight against terrorism, separatism and extremism.
Earlier in the day, the Russian minister paid tribute to the tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Iran, Russia go ahead with security cooperation – Russian official
On the other hand in Moscow, Head of Public Council of Russian Defense Ministry Igor Korotchenkov said that Iran and Russia are going ahead with fostering security and military cooperation as per the defensive cooperation agreement signed in Tehran on Tuesday.
He said that recent visit of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to Iran has created new possibilities for development of military cooperation between Moscow and Tehran.
Referring to common stances of Moscow and Tehran on issues concerning the international community and the Middle East, the Russian official said that the Iranian and Russian governments are interested in prompt settlement of crisis in Syria.
Meanwhile, he said that the Iranian and Russian governments are opposing setting up military bases by the US or other North Atlantic Treaty Organization member countries in the Caspian Sea region.
He termed the negotiations held by Russian Defense Minister and his Iranian counterpart Major-General HosseinDehqan ‘Very useful’, and said that the two officials reviewed important and key issues on security and military cooperation.
The Russian official said that the defensive cooperation agreement, which was signed in Tehran on Tuesday, is important in line with interests of the two nations.
He added that issues such as regular exchange of delegations between the two sides, holding negotiations between military officials, training military personnel and fight against terrorism were discussed by the two ministers.
He called for regular consultations between the two governments on important international and regional issues, including the Middle East, as envisaged in the agreement.
IRNA
R.S