Senior Iranian and Russian officials pledged to accelerate the implementation of bilateral agreements and remove obstacles to joint projects, local media reports.

In a meeting in the Iranian capital, Tehran, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, and Russia’s energy minister, Sergei Tsivilev, discussed ways to expand economic cooperation.

Mr Larijani praised the “excellent” level of relations, stressing that ties between Tehran and Moscow go beyond normal diplomacy and have endured amidst similar pressures and restrictions from the West in recent years.

Mr Tsivilev described the atmosphere for dialogue and economic cooperation as “positive” and reaffirmed Moscow’s determination to continue cooperation with Tehran across various sectors, including economy and energy.

The Russian energy minister is in Tehran for the 19th Iran-Russia Joint Economic Cooperation Commission.

On Tuesday, he met with Iranian oil minister Mohsen Paknejad to discuss expanding partnerships in oil, energy, transport, and trade, the local media reported.

Iran and Russia, both facing extensive U.S. sanctions, have recently strengthened their political and economic ties to counter Western pressure.

(Xinhua/NAN)