Moscow, Jan 18, 2025, IANS

Moscow, Jan 18 (IANS) Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a new comprehensive strategic partnership agreement following bilateral talks in Moscow. According to the document, published on the Kremlin website, the two countries have agreed to strengthen cooperation in trade, investment, defence, security, space, energy and counterterrorism, among other areas. The agreement also states that both countries will reject third-party sanctions against each other and will prevent the use of unilateral coercive measures, Xinhua news agency reported. "This truly breakthrough document aims to establish conditions for the stable and sustainable development of Russia and Iran, as well as our entire common Eurasian region," the Kremlin reported, citing Putin at a press-conference following talks with the Iranian leader. Putin said the new treaty outlines ambitious goals and creates a framework for deepening long-term cooperation in fields like politics, security, trade, investment and humanitarian affairs. He stressed that Russia and Iran have maintained extensive and mutually beneficial relations, and said the agreements will strengthen Russian-Iranian relations across all fields. "We need less bureaucracy and more concrete action. Whatever difficulties are created by others, we will be able to overcome them and move forward," Putin added, referring to Western sanctions on both countries. Putin said Russia regularly informed Iran about what was going on in the Ukraine conflict and that they closely consulted on events in the Middle East and the South Caucasus region. The Iranian leader said the new agreement will mark the start of a new chapter in relations between Russia and Iran, and would boost bilateral economic and trade ties. "This meeting ... and the agreements reached between our countries serve as another impetus for building a multipolar world. And, of course, this primarily concerns the development of Iran and Russia," Pezeshkian said. During the talks, the two leaders also discussed various foreign policy issues, and the positions of Moscow and Tehran largely aligned.