Iran, Russia Enjoying Strategic Relations

(FNA)- Tehran pays special heed to the further broadening of ties with Moscow, a senior Iranian diplomat reiterated.

"The Russian Federation has one of top ten economies in the world and we consider expansion of ties with Russia of strategic value," Iranian Ambassador to Moscow Mehdi Sanayee said on Thursday.

He pointed to the strategic Iran-Russia relations, and said, "Both countries’ presidents believe a new era has begun in our bilateral relations and they met four times during past year in addition to several phone conversations."

Over last several years, Iran and Russia have had vast cooperation in different fields, specially in political and economic spheres.

The two states also enjoy special positions on the international scene and have long had constant and regular consultations on key regional and global issues.

Earlier this week, Chairman of Iran's Expediency Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Sergei Naryshkin exchanged views over various regional and international developments, and called for enhanced relations between Tehran and Moscow in all fields.

In a meeting in Tehran on Monday, both sides underlined the need for Tehran and Moscow to do their best for promotion of mutual cooperation.

Hashemi Rafsanjani said that educational and research cooperation between the two countries are of vital importance, adding that such cooperation could be a base for deep ties both for private and public sectors.

He further said that both Iran and Russia, as two key countries in the region and the whole world, can help eradicate new wave of terrorism and extremism in the region.

Naryshkin, for his part, criticized the policy of imposing sanctions on independent countries, and termed the act as a clear violation of international law.