Hawzah News Agency –Speaking on Wednesday before leaving for Russia at Mehrabad Airport, Ayatollah Dr Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi said, "This trip is done at the invitation of the President of Russia and in order to promote neighbourhood and regional diplomacy".
The President also said, "We seek to establish and strengthen relations with all neighbours, especially Russia in various political, economic and trade fields, and this trip can be a turning point to improve and strengthen relations with Russia".
Dr Raisi stated that the Islamic Republic of Iran is an independent, powerful and influential country in the region, and Russia is an important, powerful and influential country in the region, the President said, "Cooperation and talks between the two important, powerful and influential countries can be effective in improving regional security and economic and trade relations".
Referring to the strengthening of cooperation between Tehran and Moscow in regional political and economic forums, the President referred to Iran's membership in the Shanghai Summit and said, "In the Shanghai Summit, we will have good cooperation with all countries, especially with Russia. Russia also plays a key role in the Eurasian Union, and cooperation between the two countries in this regard can lead to effective steps to promote trade and economic issues".
Stating that Iran and Russia have common interests, Ayatollah Raisi said, "The existence of common and interactive interests between Tehran and Moscow in the region provides security and will prevent unilateralism in the world. Also, interaction and mutual cooperation between the two countries can affect the regional and international situation".
Referring to the vast potential for cooperation between Tehran and Moscow in various political, economic and energy sectors, the President said, "The current level of trade and economic cooperation is not satisfactory for either country and needs to be upgraded to a much higher level. We hope that this trip will be an effective step towards securing the common interests of the two countries, which are influential in the regional and global fields".