Iranian, Russian leadersˈ will good incentive for expansion of ties

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi has said that the political will of Iranian and Russian leaders is good incentive for expansion of bilateral cooperation.

Salehi who was speaking with the reporters of IRNA and IRIB upon arrival in Moscowˈs Vnucovo Airport said, ˈThe Russian Federation is naturally one of the major and most important neighbors of Iran.ˈ

He emphasized the great importance of having relations with Russia for the Islamic Republic of Iran, saying, ˈRussia is an influential country at the international l scene and of high importance in Caucasus region.ˈ

The foreign minister of Islamic Republic of Iran noted that Iranˈs foreign policy priority is expansion of relations with its immediate neighbors and Russia is the top priority in this field.ˈ

Salehi said, ˈIran and Russia can be complementary of each other and as His Eminence the Supreme Leader of Revolution Ayatollah Khameneˈie said, Iran favors having a strong Russia by us side.ˈ

He added, ˈTehran and Moscow can at the international scene cooperate in many fields, including bilateral interaction about the situation in Syria, which is progressing fine.ˈ

The Iranian top diplomat pointed out that there are lots of possibilities for expansion of Iran-Russia relations in industrial, economic, scientific, and cultural fields, reiterating, ˈBut thus far we have not taken advantage of those possibilities as we should have.ˈ

He referred to the trade volume of the two countries during the past year that reached about three billion US dollars, saying, ˈThis volume does not match the potential possibilities of the two countries, which is very high and it must be multiplied several fold.ˈ

Salehi said, ˈThis is while the trade volume Iran with Turkey is over 20 billion dollars a year.ˈ

He added, ˈI hope the will of the two countriesˈ leaders for elevation of Iran-Russia trade volume would lead to the expansion of bilateral trade.ˈ

The Iranian foreign minister said, ˈIf we would be determined enough the bilateral trade volume would increase to 15 billion dollars annually, particularly since Russia needs agricultural products that Iran can provide.ˈ

He added, ˈRussia, too, can provide wood, steel and the industrial products that Iran needs.ˈ

On Tuesday(today) Salehi is scheduled to attend a ceremony to sign the documents is the 10th Iran-Russia Cooperation Commission at Moscowˈs President Hotel.

Salehi is the head of the two countries 10th Cooperation Commission whose preliminary meeting in the presence of the two countriesˈ experts began their activities as of Monday morning at the Russian Economy Ministry.

The Head of the Russian side at the Cooperation Commission is the Russiaˈs Energy Minister Alexander Novak.

It is expected that the finalized technically surveyed documents of the 10th Joint Iran-Russia Cooperation Commission would be signed in the presence of Salehi and Novak at a special ceremony Tuesday afternoon.

Meanwhile, some Russian media, such as Voice of Russia and have announced that the Iranian foreign minister would in this visit also have a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Iranˈs nuclear program.

The 9th Joint Iran-Russia Cooperation Commission was held last year in Tehran simultaneous with Bushehr Nuclear Plantˈs joining the Iranian electricity network.

M.D