At the Oct. 31 high-level plenary meeting of the International Conference on Eurasian Security in Minsk, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized that “An Agreement on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran will be an important factor of strengthening Russia-Iran relations.” He made the comments at the second International Conference on Security, hosted by Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko. Lavrov stressed that the treaty “will formalize the parties’ commitment to close defense cooperation and interaction in the interests of regional and global peace and security.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin considers the treaty as a top foreign policy priority. On Oct. 23, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and President Putin, with their leading cabinet members and businessmen, met on the sideline of the BRICS Summit. There Putin raised the proposal for the Iranian-Russian comprehensive strategic partnership, and invited Pezeshkian to come to Moscow in the November-December period to sign the treaty.
