Russia, Iran pledge to deepen cooperation

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) shakes hands with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian during a joint briefing following talks in Moscow on March 29, 2023. (Russian Foreign Ministry photo)

Particular attention was paid to strengthening trade, economic and investment ties, Lavrov said.

MOSCOW, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian agreed on Wednesday to continue joint efforts to further increase practical cooperation.

Particular attention was paid to strengthening trade, economic and investment ties, and to implementing key projects in the nuclear energy, fuel and transport sectors, Lavrov said during a joint briefing following talks with Amir-Abdollahian.

Despite the illegal sanctions of the United States and its allies, Russia-Iran trade reached a record of 4.86 billion U.S. dollars last year, more than 20 percent higher than in 2021, Lavrov noted.

Speaking of international and regional issues, Lavrov said that "both sides reaffirmed our rejection of the West's destructive policy aimed at replacing international law and the UN-centered architecture with the U.S. 'rules-based order.'"

Moscow and Tehran are convinced that there is no alternative to the Iran nuclear deal and the world is still waiting for the United States to return to its obligations under the pact, Lavrov said.

At the briefing, Amir-Abdollahian said that both sides held "very good" talks, adding that Iran and Russia had made significant progress in developing bilateral ties in a range of spheres.