Andrei Rudenko, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, stated in an interview with the Russian media agency published on Tuesday that Moscow expects to sign a new comprehensive cooperation agreement with Iran “in the very near future.”
The agency quoted Rudenko saying, “We expect this agreement to be signed very soon, as the work on the text is already nearing completion. All necessary formulations have been agreed upon.”
Earlier this month, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that work on the agreement was temporarily suspended, while Iran claimed there was no halt in preparing the new agreement.
In 2001, Russia and Iran signed a strategic agreement valid for 20 years, which was automatically extended in 2020 for five years, according to reports from the Russian news agency TASS.
In 2020, both sides also agreed to work on a new agreement to replace the old document.
The 2001 agreement called for cooperation in areas such as security and energy projects, including the peaceful use of nuclear energy and the construction of nuclear power plants, as well as industry and technology, according to its text published on the Kremlin’s website.
Few details have been revealed about what the new agreement will include.
Since Russia launched its large-scale military operation in Ukraine in 2022 and the subsequent sanctions imposed on Moscow by Kyiv’s allies, Russia and Iran have strengthened their investment, military, and energy ties.
