TEHRAN, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- Senior Iranian and Russian officials pledged on Tuesday to accelerate the implementation of bilateral agreements and remove obstacles to joint projects, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
In a meeting in the Iranian capital Tehran, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani and Russian Minister of Energy Sergei Tsivilev discussed ways to expand economic cooperation.
Larijani praised the "excellent" level of relations, stressing that ties between Tehran and Moscow go beyond normal diplomacy and have endured despite facing similar pressures and restrictions from the West in recent years.
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, emphasizing Iran's strategic position in Russia's foreign policy.
The Russian energy minister is in Tehran for the 19th Iran-Russia Joint Economic Cooperation Commission. Earlier Tuesday, he met with Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad to discuss expanding partnerships in oil, energy, transport, and trade, according to Shana News Agency affiliated with the Iranian Oil Ministry.
Iran and Russia, both facing extensive U.S. sanctions, have recently strengthened their political and economic ties to counter Western pressure. ■
