Iran and Russia strengthen humanitarian cooperation

Yesterday in New York on the sidelines of the 71st session of the UN General Assembly a meeting was held at ministerial level of the Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Action Plan (JCAP) to resolve the situation around the Iranian nuclear program. All the ministers reaffirmed the disposition of the states to follow the letter and spirit of JCAP, fulfill their commitments and ensure the complete implementation of the opportunities offered by this agreement in the economic and political spheres, as well as in the security sphere. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov vowed that Russia will continue to contribute actively to the maintenance of the stability of JCAP.

The lifting of the sanctions imposed against Iran due to its nuclear program after the conclusion of JCAP has given Tehran the opportunity to expand and deepen international contacts, not only economic, but also humanitarian.

As suggested by the deputy director of the Second Asian Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Maxim Baranov, a comprehensive study of Iran, the statehood and history of which is more than 2500 years old, allows to accept carefully its unique experience of the preservation of statehood, a deeper understanding of the traditions and history of the country's ethnic cultures, the processes that occur in the social, economic and humanitarian spheres. "In the conditions of the formation of a new polycentric model in the system of the international relations, the role of cooperation in the humanitarian sphere has been steadily increasing, which promotes mutual understanding, rapprochement of positions and the strengthening of confidence between peoples and countries. In this regard, the importance of Iranian studies as an alloy of different disciplines, which allows us to understand Iran more deeply, cannot be underestimated. This fully applies to the history of Russian-Iranian relations. To the Soviet and Russian Oriental Studies school, which has always been in demand both in academic and practical terms. The relations between our countries are on the rise. Iran is not only Russia’s neighbor, but a reliable partner.

According to the Iranian ambassador to Russia, Mehdi Sanai, we owe the development of bilateral relations, the removal of barriers, facilitation of cooperation and the development of common views on regional and international issues to the leaders of the two countries.

"In 2015 the Supreme Committee for Science and Technology between the two countries was created, and under the auspices of the Moscow State University hosted a meeting of the leading universities of Iran and Russia, which resulted in the establishment of the Iranian-Russian Universities Association and laid the foundation for the strengthening of cooperation between the universities of two countries. On October 20th a forum of the leading universities of Iran and Russia will be held under the auspices of the University of Tehran with the participation of the rectors of major universities of the two countries,’’ Sanai said during the international conference on the Iranian studies, held these days at the Russian State Humanitarian University.

Another possibility for interaction between the universities of Iran and Russia and other Caspian countries will be the annual meeting of the Association of the State Universities of the Caspian countries. Its annual meeting will be held under the auspices of Dagestan State University with the participation of the regional universities on October 11-15th.

"The Embassy of Iran in Moscow over the past two years has been engaged in the All-Russian large forum of Iranian scholars and professors of the Persian language. Iran was guest of honor at the Moscow Book Fair, and the Russian Federation was the guest of honor at the Tehran International Book Fair,’’ the ambassador recalled.