Russian President Putin meets Iran’s President Raeisi in Samarkand

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin says a delegation of 80 large Russian companies are set to visit Iran next week, as the Islamic Republic signed documents pertaining to its full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which is due to take place in the near future.
Putin
made the announcement in a meeting with Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi
on the sidelines of a SCO’s summit in the Uzbek city of Samarkand on
Thursday, Russia’s state-owned news agency RIA Novosti reported.
The
Russian leader said Moscow was “very happy” that Iran would soon join the
Eurasian political, economic and security organization, which brings together
China, Russia, India, Pakistan and four ex-Soviet Central Asian countries.
"As we agreed with you, we have done everything for Iran to
become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Our partners in
this organization have supported your application; all that is left is one last
formality. It is indeed a formality, and Iran is joining this already serious,
large and authoritative international organization," Putin said. "And
we are very happy about this.”
The
Russian president stressed that Moscow’s and Tehran’s stances are close or
coincide on many international issues, saying, “Inter-regional ties are
developing. We actively cooperate on the international arena and on many
[points] our positions are close, or, as diplomats say, coincide.”
Putin
also pointed to the warm welcome by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah
Seyyed Ali Khamenei during his visit to Tehran in July,
saying, "Thanks to his support, many projects are moving forward. We
are interested in his further support."
"I
am asking you to convey to him my best wishes," the Russian leader told
Raeisi.
The Iranian president, for his part,
said the Islamic Republic is "seriously determined to develop bilateral
strategic relations" with Russia in the fields of politics, economy,
trade, and aerospace, adding that the cooperation among countries sanctioned by
the United States would make them "stronger.”
"The relationship between countries that are sanctioned by the
US, such as Iran, Russia or other countries, can overcome many problems and
issues and make them stronger," Raisi told Putin in the meeting.
"The Americans think whichever country they impose sanctions
on, it will be stopped, their perception is a wrong one."
Raeisi
also underlined that Tehran’s membership in the SCO and its relationship with
member states "can greatly help on the path of economic development for
Iran and the development of the region."
Iran,
one of four SCO observer states, applied for full membership in 2008 but its
bid was slowed as a result of the illegal sanctions imposed by the United
Nations and US.