On 28 December, the spokesman for the Iranian government, Ali Bahadori Jahromi, announced that President Ebrahim Raisi will visit Russia in early 2022.
During a weekly news conference, Jahromi said Russian President Vladimir Putin had invited his Iranian counterpart earlier this year, “in line with the continuation of strategic interactions.”
“Raisi will probably pay a visit to Moscow early in the new year (2022) within the framework of strengthening international relations with the world, especially regional countries,” Jahromi said.
The upcoming visit was confirmed by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who told reporters on Tuesday that “Russian-Iranian contacts at the highest level are being prepared.”
According to the officials, Raisi’s visit is expected to result in a number of major agreements and contracts. It will also focus on the ongoing sanctions-removal talks in Vienna as well as expansion of economic and trade ties between Tehran and Moscow.
Over recent years, Iran and Russia have managed to bolster cooperation across several fields. Moscow has also been a strong supporter of Iran’s nuclear energy program.
During a phone call between Raisi and Putin back in September, the Iranian head of state said his country was “determined” to continue building ties with Moscow, including in the production of a joint vaccine to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are pursuing the development and deepening of cooperation between the two countries in all dimensions,” Raisi said.
Following another phone call with Putin on 16 November, the Iranian president highlighted that “the positions of Tehran and Moscow are close on many international issues,” before adding that “opposing the unilateral approach and boosting multipolarity are the common features of the two states.”
On 8 December, the Russian leader expressed his hopes that Raisi would accept his invitation to Moscow.