Moscow is on the verge of signing a new comprehensive cooperation agreement with Iran, Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko revealed in an interview with Russia's RIA state news agency on Tuesday. Rudenko indicated that the agreement is almost ready, with all necessary details finalized.
"We expect that this agreement will be signed in the very near future, since work on the text is already close to completion. All the necessary wording has been found," Rudenko told RIA.
Earlier this month, there were conflicting reports about the status of the agreement. Russia's foreign ministry mentioned that the work on the agreement had been temporarily halted, while Iran stated that preparations for the new pact were ongoing without interruption.
Russia and Iran initially signed a 20-year strategic agreement in 2001, which was automatically extended for five years in 2020, as reported by Russia's TASS state news agency. In the same year, both nations agreed to develop a new pact to replace the old one.
The 2001 agreement included cooperation in areas such as security, energy projects (including the peaceful use of nuclear energy and the construction of nuclear power plants), industry, and technology, according to the document published on the Kremlin's website.
Details about the new agreement remain scarce. However, since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the subsequent sanctions imposed by Kyiv's allies, Russia and Iran have strengthened their investment, military, and energy ties.
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