Beginning of Russian-Iranian talks
President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr President, friends! I am delighted to meet with you again. At the beginning of our conversation, I would like to ask you to convey my best wishes to the Supreme Leader of Iran, Mr Khamenei.
I want to especially highlight the friendly nature of our relations and the truly special character of the multifaceted ties between Russia and Iran. During your visit in January, we signed an updated interstate agreement which elevated our relations to a qualitatively new level.
Our mutual trade is growing steadily. By the end of 2024, it increased by 13 percent, and in the first half of this year, by another 11.4 percent.
The Free Trade Agreement between the EAEU and Iran, which has now entered into force, will undoubtedly give it a significant boost.
We attach great importance to strengthening humanitarian and cultural cooperation. More Iranian students are choosing Russian universities: over the past five years their number has tripled, reaching 9,110. In June, Tehran and Isfahan hosted vibrant events of the Russian Culture Festival, which received wide attention.
Tourism exchanges are also on the rise, with an increase of 13 percent recorded in 2024.
Of course, we maintain constant contact on major international issues, including matters concerning the Iranian nuclear programme.
We indeed have many issues to discuss today, and I am very pleased about this opportunity to meet once again.
President of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian (retranslated): Good evening, Mr President, colleagues. I am very pleased to meet with you here on the sidelines of the SCO summit. This is truly an excellent opportunity to discuss our multifaceted agenda, which, as you have said, are comprehensive.
I fully share your assessment: the entry into force of our Basic Treaty will contribute to the further growth of trade and expansion of our cooperation across all areas. I probably know that this document has recently been ratified by the Iranian parliament.
Of course, the Free Trade Agreement between Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union gives a strong additional boost to our relations, and we wholeheartedly welcome it. I personally oversee the implementation of the agreements reached between our countries and will make every effort to remove any obstacles along this path.
As you rightly noted, our humanitarian ties are also developing dynamically. Academic exchanges between our universities are expanding, creating a broad flow of knowledge and joint research between our think tanks, which we highly value.
Of course, our cooperation is progressing in all the areas you mentioned, but we agree that it still requires further momentum. Today, during the SCO summit here in Tianjin, all the leaders present confirmed their readiness to work actively on implementing our agreements.
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