In talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian on the sidelines of the BRICS meeting in South Africa on Friday, Lavrov said the Russian deputy prime minister’s recent visit to Tehran and the consequent deals on economic cooperation, the recent agreement on the completion of Rasht-Astara railroad project, the close interaction between the Russian and Iranian companies and business people, and the recent visit by Russia’s central bank governor to Tehran indicate Moscow’s serious determination to strengthen economic and trade ties with Tehran.
He also expressed Russia’s readiness to continue expert negotiations in order to finalize the agreement on long-term comprehensive cooperation with Iran, noting that legal teams from the two states will meet in the near future.
For his part, Amirabdollahian called for the removal of obstacles to economic and trade interaction between Tehran and Moscow.
He said Iran is making arrangements for the 17th meeting of Iran-Russia Joint Economic Commission.
The two senior diplomats also talked about the latest developments surrounding the revival of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Caucasus issues, the three-party and six-party initiatives for cooperation on the regional and South Caucasus issues, cooperation in the Caspian Sea, joint projects in the North-South Corridor, the Astana process for peace in Syria, as well as the economic, banking, energy, cultural and consular cooperation between Iran and Russia.