Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani, in Bishkek on Friday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th June, 2019) Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani, in Bishkek on Friday.Diplomatic relations between Russia and Iran date back to the 16th century, but it was on May 20, 1920, when the governments of the Soviet Russia and Persia exchanged notes of mutual recognition. On December 25, 1991, Iran expressed its interest in continuing diplomatic relations with Russia as the successor to the USSR.
The Agreement on the Basic Relations and Principles of Cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran, signed by the countries' presidents on March 12, 2001, significantly strengthened the legal basis for bilateral relations. The deal came into force on April 5, 2002.
The Russian-Iranian political dialogue is based on close or shared positions on most global and regional matters, particularly with regard to establishing a multipolar world order, promoting the United Nations' role in international affairs, and countering new challenges and threats. The two countries also have similar stands when it comes to the Syrian and Iraqi peace processes and the situation in Afghanistan.
Russia considers cooperation with Iran an important factor in protecting its national interests and promoting stability in the South Caucasus, Central Asia and Middle East.
Russia and Iran maintain permanent high-level contacts.
On March 17, 2017, Rouhani arrived in Russia for a two-day visit, during which he met with President Vladimir Putin and signed a number of bilateral documents. He later had a separate meeting with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.
On November 1, 2017, Putin came to Tehran for a working visit to attend a trilateral meeting of the heads of Russia, Iran and Azerbaijan. During the visit, he met with Rouhani and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The two presidents met again on November 22, 2017, this time joined by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in the Russian resort city of Sochi. The three discussed the Syrian peace process, including their joint efforts within the Astana format. After the meeting, Putin held a separate bilateral meeting with Rouhani.
During a working visit to Turkey from April 3-4, 2018, Putin met with his Iranian counterpart once more. The leaders discussed bilateral relations as well as international and regional matters. The heads of Russia, Iran and Turkey also held a trilateral meeting.
On June 9, 2018, Putin and Rouhani met again on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in the Chinese city of Qingdao.
Three days later, Putin received Ali Akbar Velayati, adviser to the Iranian supreme leader in international affairs, who was carrying a message from Rouhani to the Russian leader, at his Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow.
On August 12, 2018, Putin and Rouhani participated in the fifth summit of Caspian Sea littoral states heads in the Kazakh city of Aktau.
Putin then traveled to Tehran on September 7 of that year, where he participated in the third trilateral meeting of the heads of guarantor states of the Astana process. He also held separate bilateral meetings with Rouhani and Khamenei.
On February 14, 2019, Rouhani came to Sochi to attend the Russia-Turkey-Iran summit on Syrian peace. Putin held a bilateral meeting with Rouhani on the sidelines of the summit.
As for diplomatic contacts, the foreign ministers of Russia and Iran hold regular meetings within UN General Assembly sessions and on the sidelines of other international events. They also have telephone conversations. Deputy foreign ministers also consult regularly to discuss the bilateral agenda and other relevant issues in the Middle East and North Africa, among others.
Interparliamentary ties between the two countries, as well as communication between ministries and governmental agencies have also been actively developing.
Russia and Iran have been working together to find effective solutions to today's challenges and threats, including the fight against international terrorism, and the political and diplomatic settlement of the Syrian conflict.
Russia also played a significant role in resolving the situation around Iran's nuclear program. Moscow continues to support Tehran's balanced approach toward the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and does not agree with the illegal unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States against Iran and countries which do business with it.
Economic ties and trade between the two countries continue to grow. Last year, trade between Russia and Iran amounted to $1.7 billion, which included $1.2 billion in Russian exports and $533.1 million in Russian imports.
Trade between Russia and Iran in the first quarter of this year has already reached nearly $543 million, with Russian exports totaling $393.7 million and Russia's imports reaching $149.2 million.
Russia exports to Iran mostly consist of food and agricultural raw materials; metals and metallic products; machines, equipment and transport vehicles; wood and pulp and paper products; as well as chemical products.
Russia's imports from its partner include food and agricultural raw materials; metals and metallic products; chemical products; minerals; machines, equipment and transport vehicles.
The permanent Russian-Iranian Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation held its last regular meeting in Moscow on March 6, 2018. It will convene again for its 15th meeting from June 16-18 in Iran.
In November 2014, Russia and Iran signed an agreement to build the second and third reactors for the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant (the so-called Bushehr 2 project) in southern Iran. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on September 10, 2016. The combined capacity of the two new units will be 2,100 megawatts. The second unit is planned to be completed by 2024, and the third by 2026.
Cooperation between the two countries in the oil sector is ongoing. In November 2017, Russia began importing Iranian oil under an oil-for-goods program, which was established with the signing of a corresponding memorandum in August 2014.
However, the start of the joint program was repeatedly postponed, largely because of difficulties with monetary settlements. Under the terms of the program, Tehran must use half of the received funds to purchase Russian goods and services.
Russian energy companies Gazprom, Rosneft, Gazprom Neft, Zarubezhneft, Tatneft and Lukoil are negotiating with Tehran to explore three oil fields in Iran.
Moscow and Tehran are also implementing a number of large-scale projects in the energy sector, including the construction of the Sirik thermal power plant in Iran and electrification of the Garmsar-Incheboron railroad.
Agriculture has also played an important role in the development of bilateral cooperation. Iran is the key market for Russian agricultural exporters in the Middle East and Persian Gulf regions. The main products exported from Russia to Iran in 2018 were grain, sunflower oil and lamb.
On February 12, 2019, Russia, Kazakhstan and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate in wheat trading.
Bilateral defense industry cooperation is developing in accordance with international law. In 2007, the two states signed an agreement to provide Russian S-300 surface-to-air missile systems to Iran. However, the transaction was suspended when the UN Security Council Resolution 1929 was adopted on June 9, 2010.
The resolution prohibited the transfer of conventional weapons such as missiles or missile systems to Iran. The Russian president lifted this ban in April 2015 and two months later, it became known that Moscow and Tehran were preparing another agreement. The S-300 deal came into effect in November of that year, and by October 2016, Russia had fulfilled its terms.
In March 2018, it was announced that Russia would be setting up an after-sales service center in Iran for the maintenance of air defense systems.
Russian-Iranian cooperation in the cultural, humanitarian, scientific and education sectors also continues to develop.
The Culture Mission at the Embassy of Iran in Moscow, which opened in 1998, organizes the annual Russian Olympiad on Persian Language and Literature together with Russian universities, and organizes advanced Farsi training courses for Russian students and teachers at Iranian universities.
The Russian Ministry of Education and Science grants state scholarships to Iranian students to study at Russian universities to help Iran train national specialists.
The Joint Russian-Iranian Commission on Orthodox-Islam Dialogue is also operating.
From September 3-8, 2018, the Russian cities of Moscow and Ufa hosted an Iranian culture week, the goal of which was to familiarize Russians with the Islamic republic's culture.
