President Pledges Faster Iran-Russia Cooperation, Hails Strategic Partnership

During a meeting in Tehran on Monday with Russian Energy Minister Sergey Tsivilev, President Pezeshkian said the minister's visit reflected the strong political will of both governments to move beyond negotiations and translate bilateral agreements into tangible results.

The president highlighted the vast potential for cooperation in energy, oil and gas, petrochemicals, industry, trade, transportation corridors, and other economic sectors, stressing that the commitment demonstrated by senior leaders—including Russian President Vladimir Putin—must be matched by accelerated implementation of joint initiatives.

Pezeshkian also underscored the importance of expanding cooperation through multilateral frameworks such as BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Eurasian framework, and Caspian Sea partnerships, describing them as effective platforms for launching new bilateral projects.

Calling for the establishment of specialized working groups for each initiative, he said relevant government bodies and the embassies of both countries should closely monitor implementation and promptly remove any obstacles.

Describing Iran and Russia as "strategic partners and trustworthy friends," the president said the pace of cooperation should reflect the depth of bilateral relations and the countries' considerable political and economic capacities.

He added that strengthening ties with Russia had long been emphasized by the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei and continues to be a central policy under new Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Mojtaba Khamenei, reaffirming Iran's commitment to advancing that course.

Addressing broader international issues, Pezeshkian criticized unilateral sanctions and coercive policies against independent countries, arguing that closer scientific, industrial, economic, and technological cooperation among such nations would help neutralize the effects of sanctions and contribute to a more equitable international order.

The Iranian president also thanked Russia for dispatching a high-level delegation to the funeral ceremonies of the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution and expressed appreciation for Moscow's support for Iran in international forums.

For his part, Tsivilev conveyed President Vladimir Putin's greetings and briefed Pezeshkian on his meetings with Iran's oil and energy ministers. He reaffirmed Russia's commitment to implementing bilateral agreements and announced the formation of specialized working groups to ensure steady progress on joint projects.

The Russian minister also praised Iran's independent foreign policy, saying Moscow respects Tehran's resilience in the face of external pressure. He described Iran as one of Russia's most reliable partners and stressed that, like Tehran, Moscow would never yield to coercion or policies based on force./tasni,