Ayatollah Raisi’s 28 foreign trips in 34 months
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi served for 1,019 days from August 3, 2021, to May 20, 2024. On his final working trip, he met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to inaugurate the “Qiz Qalasi” dam on the Iran-Azerbaijan border. Tragically, he was martyred upon returning due to a helicopter crash. Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi undertook a total of 28 foreign trips to 23 countries. During this period, he traveled twice to Tajikistan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and the United Nations. The travel record of the eighth President of the Islamic Republic of Iran clearly indicates that his foreign policy priorities were focused on strengthening cooperation with neighboring countries, particularly those in Central Asia.
Tajikistan
Ebrahim Raisi’s first foreign trip was to Tajikistan in September, exactly one month after the presidential elections. This trip resulted in the signing of eight cooperation documents between the two countries and the significant achievement of Iran’s permanent membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
Turkmenistan
Three months later, in December 2021, he traveled to Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan. On the sidelines of the ECO summit, a trilateral gas swap agreement was signed, valued at 1.5 to 2 billion cubic meters of gas annually, facilitating the transfer of gas from Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan via Iran.
Russia (First Trip)
Raisi’s first trip to Russia took place on January 19-20, 2022. During this visit, he met with Vladimir Putin in Moscow, discussing a wide range of economic cooperation in energy, banking, transit, and security sectors. Three months later, on February 21-22, he visited Qatar, where the discussion on the Gas Exporting Countries Forum highlighted the region’s significance.
Oman
Three months later, on May 23, 2022, Raisi visited Oman, another Gulf country. During this visit, he referred to Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said of Oman as a sincere and reliable friend of Iran and discussed with economic stakeholders ways to resolve trade issues between the two countries.
Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan were the next destinations of Raisi’s foreign trips. He visited Turkmenistan on June 29, 2022, and on September 15 of the same year, he traveled to Uzbekistan for the second time in less than a year since the beginning of his presidency to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, highlighting the importance of strengthening cooperation with northern neighbors. During this trip, Iran’s full membership in the SCO was officially announced. He held 11 meetings with the leaders of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, China, Turkey, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan, resulting in the signing of various cooperation agreements.
First trip to New York
Two days after concluding this regional tour, on September 18, 2022, Raisi traveled to New York for the first time to attend the United Nations General Assembly. During this trip, he met with the Presidents of France, Switzerland, Finland, Serbia, Bolivia, Zimbabwe, and the Prime Ministers of Japan, Pakistan, Lebanon, Iraq, and Armenia. In his speech at the 77th UN General Assembly, he protested the assassination of “Martyr Qasem Soleimani” by holding up his photograph and emphasized the failure of Western sanctions against Iran.
Kazakhstan
The next trip of the late Raisi, the deceased President of Iran, was 22 days after his New York visit to Kazakhstan, a northern neighbor of Iran. During this trip, he met with the Emir of Qatar and the President of Azerbaijan, telling Ilham Aliyev that Iran was ready to use its capacity to resolve conflicts between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
China
Raisi’s last foreign trip in 2022 was to China, Iran’s largest trading partner. On February 13, 2023, he went to Beijing for a three-day visit. During this trip, 20 cooperation documents and memoranda of understanding were signed in various fields including crisis management, information and communication technology, media, trade, intellectual property, cultural heritage, and crisis management.
Syria
On May 2, 2023, the late President of Iran traveled to Damascus, the capital of Syria, and met with Bashar al-Assad. This was the first visit by an Iranian president since the Syrian war crisis. During this visit, 14 cooperation documents were signed in various fields such as oil and energy, trade, and facilitating pilgrimage affairs between the two countries.
Indonesia
The next foreign trip of Raisi was to East Asia. On May 22, 2023, he traveled to Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. During this visit, 11 cooperation documents were signed in various fields including trade, science and technology, cultural exchanges, pharmaceutical production, and oil and gas.
Latin America: Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba
In June 2023, the President of Iran visited Latin America, traveling to Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba from June 11 to 15. Discussions with the leaders of these countries focused on investments by Iranian knowledge-based companies in Venezuela and Cuba, cooperation in de-dollarization, reducing U.S. hegemony and influence, and mitigating the effects of sanctions.
Second trip to New York
On September 18, 2023, Raisi made his second trip to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly. During this four-day visit, he delivered a speech at the General Assembly, stating, “The American project of global dominance has failed, and the ideology that sought to be a global model has become a cautionary tale, nearing its end.”
Second trips to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan
On November 8-9, 2023, the Iranian President made his second visits to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, participating in the 16th ECO Summit in Tashkent, Uzbekistan’s capital. He emphasized Iran’s determination to mobilize more resources and energy to enhance cooperation within the ECO framework.
Saudi Arabia
One of the most significant foreign trips of the late Raisi in 2023 was his historic visit to Saudi Arabia after seven years, facilitated by China’s mediation. On November 11, he traveled to Riyadh to attend an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on the Gaza conflict. During this visit, he met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, where both parties emphasized the development of bilateral relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Russia
On December 7, 2023, Raisi made his second visit to Moscow, the capital of Russia. During his meeting with Vladimir Putin, he stated, “Iran and Russia have good cooperation in energy, agriculture, and scientific activities, and further significant steps can be taken.” Raisi added that the Israel-Hamas war is a challenge for all humanity and that the bombing of Gaza must be stopped immediately. Putin announced that the volume of economic exchanges between the two countries had reached $5 billion.
Turkey
The next trip for the Iranian President was to Ankara, the capital of Turkey. On December 24, 2023, Raisi traveled to Turkey, where 10 cooperation documents were signed between Tehran and Ankara.
Algeria
Raisi’s last foreign trip in 2023 was to Algiers, the capital of Algeria. During this visit, he participated in the meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum and met with the leaders of Qatar, Tunisia, Mozambique, Iraq, and Bolivia.
Pakistan
Raisi’s first foreign trip in 2024 was to Pakistan. From April 22 to 24, he visited Islamabad, followed by visits to the cities of Lahore and Karachi. During this trip, eight cooperation documents were signed, envisioning a trade volume of $10 billion between the two countries, with an emphasis on securing the borders.
Sri Lanka
On April 24, 2024, the Iranian President traveled from Pakistan to Sri Lanka for his last foreign trip, aimed at economic development with East Asian countries. During this one-day visit, he participated in the inauguration ceremony of the multi-purpose Uma Oya Dam and Power Plant project alongside Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, marking one of Iran’s major engineering service export projects.
Iran-Azerbaijan border
In his final working trip, Raisi visited the Iran-Azerbaijan border and met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the zero point border along the Aras River. During the ceremony, he stated, “The Qiz Qalasi Dam is a symbol of regional development and a testament to the determination of the two countries and peoples of Iran and Azerbaijan to expand cooperation.”