The chairman of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran, Ali Larijani, has arrived in Moscow. The Chairman of the Russian State Duma Sergey Naryshkin said during a meeting with Ali Larijani that Russia and Iran have similar views on most international issues.
"We appreciate our intensive political dialogue, cooperation in various areas, including in the military-technical sphere. We recognize Iran’s big contribution to the fight against international terrorism," TASS cited Naryshkin as saying.
Recall that yesterday Larijani attended the Conference of Eurasia Speakers of Parliament in Moscow. The Iranian Speaker expressed an opinion that it's possible to "work out some mechanisms so that countries can integrate, communicate and consolidate efforts to combat terrorism.”
A senior scientist at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Stanislav Pritchin, speaking with a correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza noted that the war in the Middle East had a greater impact on the development of the Russian-Iranian relations than the lifting of sanctions on Tehran. "The Syrian conflict has brought the positions of Russia and Iran on how better to fight Daesh closer together. Another point that changed the relations between Russia and Iran was Hassan Rouhani’s accession to power. Of course, the lifting of sanctions allowed to address a wider range of bilateral issues, which could not be resolved earlier, among other for financial reasons,” he said.
The expert also pointed out that the lifting of sanctions has opened Iran to foreign and Russian investors. "Restrictions on financial transactions were lifted, parts of Iranian banks have returned to the SWIFT system, getting an opportunity to make transfers and non-cash payments through the international system. Of course, the Iranian market is interesting not only for Russian but for Western investors as well. And although Russia enjoys certain political preference when dealing with Iran, at the end of the day Iranian businessmen and the government choose those projects which are more interesting to them," he explained.
At the same time, the fight against Daesh led to an understanding that Russia and Iran have similar positions on many issues. "There are common challenges, common risks which must be addressed jointly. And that in turn requires closer cooperation," Pritchin concluded.
A State Councilor and an expert of the Council on Science of the Russian Security Council, Stanislav Ivanov, stressed that the lifting of sanctions against Iran has opened new opportunities for cooperation between Moscow and Tehran. "There were limitations in the military-technical cooperation. Now they are gradually being removed, for example, we have already delivered S-300 air defense systems," he recalled.
"In addition, both countries have a good history of fighting drug trafficking in Afghanistan. And Tehran's experience in this area is difficult to overestimate. According to the UN report, Iran has succeeded more than anyone else in this fight, confiscating about 30-40% of illegal drugs," the expert said.
He pointed out a rather severe Iranian legislation in this area, adding that the system of drug control in the country deserves attention and could be used in Russia. "They carry out preventive work in kindergartens, schools and universities and create so-called labor camps for those who broke the law," Ivanov believes.
He also noted that Iran has a great scientific, technical and economic potential, therefore the lifting of sanctions has opened up new opportunities for cooperation with the Russian state corporations and private entities. "The task of the State Duma, the Federation Council and other government agencies is to create favorable conditions for small and medium-sized businesses, state corporations and private large companies. Certain amendments to the legislation are needed: for example, a simplified visa regime and exemption from double taxation. This will boost the Russian-Iranian relations, increasing the volume of trade from $ 1 billion to $ 30 billion," the expert believes.
In addition, he expressed an opinion that the fight against Daesh had no effect on the Russian-Iranian cooperation. "We had good interactions before that [the fight against Daesh]. There were regular visits at the Interior ministers’ level, at the level of the heads of the drug control service and the heads of the Security Council. Even sanctions could not stop this cooperation. Therefore, Iran objectively plays a major role in the fight against drugs and terrorism," Stanislav Ivanov concluded.
