Work on 'Strategic' Russia-Iran Cooperation Agreement at 'Final Stage': Putin
Iran signed a memorandum of commitment to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on Thursday as the SCO summit kicked off in Uzbekistan. The Islamic Republic is expected to be officially accepted as a member of the Eurasian political, economic and security bloc before the summit is through.
💬 "Work on a new, major agreement between Russia and Iran is in its final stage. [This treaty] will mark the transition of relations between our countries to a strategic level," Putin said, speaking alongside his Iranian counterpart President Ebrahim Raisi on the sidelines of the SCO Summit.
💬 "Interregional ties are developing. We are actively cooperating in the international arena, and on many [points] our positions are close, or as diplomats would put it, they coincide," Putin said.
💬 "We are serious about the development of bilateral relations. Our relations are not ordinary, they are of a strategic nature. Cooperation can continue to develop in the political, trade and economic, as well as the space and aerospace sectors," Raisi said.
The Iranian president expressed gratitude to his Russian counterpart for supporting the Islamic Republic's bid for membership in the SCO, and emphasized that not only Tehran but the entire organization would benefit from Iran's full membership in the bloc.
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