Iran Says President Will Visit Russia In Early 2022
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will pay an official state visit to Russia in 2022, upon an invitation by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iran said Tuesday.
Government spokesman Ali Bahadori-Jahromi told reporters that the state visit will probably take place in the early days of the new year.
The visit was announced as representatives of Iran and Russia as well as China and three European countries are negotiating for the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal between the Islamic Republic and world powers.
Russia has been a diplomatic and military ally of the Islamic Republic, although it has been cautious not to violate economic sanctions imposed by the United States on Iran.
The two countries have been fighting in Syria to save president Bashar al-Assad's regime, with Iran supplying ground forces and Russia air power.
Successive Iranian presidents have attached great importance to ties with Moscow as a counterbalance to the West.
Earlier in December, Putin said that he invited his Iranian counterpart to visit Russia early next year, addeing, “I hope Iran’s president will accept my invitation”.
