July 19, 2022
Beginning of Russian-Iranian talks
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Sayyid Ebrahim Raisi (retranslated):
President Putin,
Thank you very much for accepting our invitation to come here for bilateral and then trilateral talks in the Astana format.
After our visit and the meeting in Moscow and then in Ashgabat, everything has been developing very quickly, including our bilateral relations. Both sides have the political will needed to develop our ties and to put them into practice.
We have good, substantial experience on the Syrian track. I think this experience and our cooperation have made this region safer. Other countries merely claim to be fighting terrorism. Meanwhile, our relations and cooperation in counterterrorism have proved our ability to reach the goals we set for ourselves. I believe this is very valuable experience in enhancing security in our region.
I very much hope that your official visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran will become a turning point in upgrading our relations on the regional and international agenda.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin: I am very pleased to be here today with our friends on hospitable Iranian land.
Our relations have been developing at a good pace, indeed. We boast record figures in trade growth. We are strengthening our cooperation on international security and making a tangible contribution to settling the Syrian conflict.