TEHRAN, January 24. /TASS/: Iranian-Russian cooperation has expanded quite well over the past year and will broaden significantly during the implementation of the seventh five-year development plan (2022-2026), Speaker of the Iranian Majles (parliament), Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said when summing up the results of the third meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Commission on Cooperation between the State Duma and the Parliament of Iran, which took place in Tehran on Monday.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Ghalibaf met with State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, who paid a visit to Iran.
"Relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Russia have significantly expanded over the past year. I am certain that these relations between our two countries will reach new highs as the seventh development plan is implemented, one of its guidelines being stronger ties with neighboring states," the news agency ISNA quotes Ghalibaf as saying.
"Relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Russia are of great importance in the light of various circumstances, including the fact that both our countries have access to the Caspian Sea and [based on] our common interests in the region and our international cooperation," Ghalibaf stated.
"Among the priorities that were discussed the day before were oil and gas cooperation, investment in this area, and stock exchange transactions," he noted. "Another vital issue that grabbed the attention of the two parties was the North-South transportation corridor, which can be very useful not only for Russia, but also for all countries in Eurasia and Central Asia. Completing the Rasht-Astara railway project is a priority here." Ghalibaf stressed that deals were reached on lifting customs and visa barriers and on the transition to mutual settlements in Russian rubles and Iranian tomans.
