Iran Hails Russia For ‘Bolstering Stability And Security’ In Middle East

Iran believes its relation with Russia has helped the Middle East get more stabilized. Iranian Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Hossein Dehqan made the comments during a meeting with Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak in Tehran.

“The effective steps taken so far towards developing cooperation between the two countries have resulted in bolstering stability and security in the region,” Press TV quoted Dehqan as saying. “The current conditions require Iran and Russia … to develop their cooperation in the political, economic and defense spheres.”

The Russian minister, along with a 50-member delegation, is in Tehran to discuss, among other things, the expansion of mutual cooperation between the countries in the oil industry.

According to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, both Iran and Russia emphasized on working more closely to battle terrorism and support countries who were suffering from it. Novak also met Mahmoud Vaezi, the Iranian minister of communications and information technology, who reportedly declared after the meeting that Russia had pledged to issue a credit line of $5 billion to work on joint projects with Iran.

Novak also held a meeting with Iranian Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian, and the two reportedly discussed about establishing a thermal power plant in southern Iran. They also talked about modernizing the present stations constructed by Russia in the Islamic republic.