Russian President Vladimir Putin, who arrived in Tehran on Tuesday, is now holding a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi. The conversation is taking place in the office of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. This is their third meeting this year; Putin and Raisi have also spoken twice by phone, TASS reports.
Then, the Russian president is scheduled to have a conversation with Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
As Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov noted earlier, Putin is expected during his meetings with Iranian leaders to exchange views on the main aspects of bilateral cooperation, as well as on international and regional security issues, including the current situation around the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on the Iranian nuclear program (JCPOA).
The Kremlin representative called Tehran an important partner of Moscow, pointing out that the countries' relations are friendly, have a centuries-long history and are developing very effectively in a wide range of areas. Ushakov noted that Russia and Iran have plans to bring bilateral cooperation to a new level, the level of strategic partnership, so a corresponding interstate treaty is currently being prepared.
The issue of increasing Russian-Iranian cooperation in the economic sphere is especially relevant in light of the tightening of Western sanctions against Russia and the prospect of signing a permanent agreement between Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union on a free trade zone in 2022, which should replace the interim treaty in place now.
