MOSCOW:
Russia and Iran signed a new treaty on Friday that strengthens their economic and military cooperation, in what both sides see as a major step in their relations.
Moscow has viewed the Islamic Republic as a strategic ally since sending troops to Ukraine in February 2022, worrying Western officials who view both countries as malign actors on the world stage.
The two sides agreed to help each other counter common “security threats”, according to a copy of the text published by the Kremlin. But they have not reached a mutual defense agreement like the one signed between Russia and North Korea last year.
They also agreed that if one party was subjected to aggression, the other would not provide “assistance to the aggressor.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian, who jointly signed the deal in a Kremlin ceremony, both hailed the agreement as a new chapter in their relations.
“This truly revolutionary document aims to create the necessary conditions for the stable and sustainable development of Russia, Iran and our entire Eurasian region,” Putin said.
Pezeshkian said the deal would “open a new chapter in relations between Iran and Russia in all areas, especially in the area of economic cooperation.”
The two sides agreed to “support trade and economic cooperation in all areas”, a key point as both sides step up trade in the face of heavy Western sanctions against their energy industry.
They also agreed to cooperate in the training of military personnel, as well as to formalize the docking of warships and ships in each other’s ports.
The agreement does not explicitly refer to arms exchange, an area of cooperation that the West has hit with sanctions.
Iran has already supplied Russia with self-detonating “Shahed” drones that Moscow fires at Ukraine in nightly barrages, according to Ukrainian and Western officials.
Sitting next to Putin in the Kremlin after the treaty signing, Pezeshkian called for a political settlement to end the nearly three-year-old conflict.
“I would like to reiterate that war is not an appropriate solution to resolve problems and we welcome the negotiations and the achievement of peace between the two countries, Russia and Ukraine,” he said.
