Russia’s Lavrov due in Tehran on Tuesday for key talks
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Saturday that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would visit Tehran in the coming days to meet his Iranian counterpart and discuss “regional and international developments.”
“The visit … will be carried out within the framework of ongoing consultations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation on bilateral relations and regional and international developments,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said, according to a statement by the ministry.
The statement added that Lavrov will also meet with some other Iranian officials.
Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, told the ISNA news agency that Lavorv’s visit would take place on Tuesday and would be a one-day trip.
“In this meeting, a diverse range of topics related to mutual, regional and international relations will be examined and discussed,” Jalali said.
Lavrov last visited Iran in October 2023 for a meeting aimed at finding a solution to Armenia-Azerbaijan tensions.
Iran and Russia, as two close and strategic allies, have over the past years deepened relations in various fields, despite heavy Western sanctions.
In 2001, Tehran and Moscow signed a long-term cooperation deal, officially known as the Treaty of the Foundation of Mutual Relations and the Principles of Cooperation. It was initially set for 10 years but was extended twice up until 2026.
In January 2024, the presidents of Iran and Russia, Masoud Pezeshkian and Vladimir Putin, signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement for long-term cooperation. Both presidents hailed the agreement as a new chapter in relations between the two countries.
The two countries were also key allies of ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, who was overthrown in December by foreign-backed militants.
The pair are also under heavy Western sanctions. Those against Russia have been ramped up since its 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The West has accused Tehran of supplying Moscow with drones and missiles for the conflict and imposed sanctions on it as a result. Iran denies doing so.
The majority of the illegal sanctions on Tehran is for its nuclear program.