Astana, Kazakhstan – Russian President Vladimir Putin engaged in crucial bilateral discussions with the leaders of Iran and Qatar during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit on Thursday. The SCO, founded in 2001 by Russia and China, serves as a counterbalance to Western alliances.
In his meeting with Iran’s acting President Mohammad Mokhber, Putin emphasized the substantial improvement in Russian-Iranian trade relations. Both nations committed to enhancing their bilateral ties, with Putin noting a notable rise in tourism between Russia and Iran.
Mokhber delivered a message from Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, assuring that the “deep” relations between Russia and Iran would remain robust irrespective of the outcome of Iran’s imminent runoff election. Mokhber highlighted that the strong partnership between Moscow and Tehran has shifted “international equations of power.”
Separately, Putin expressed gratitude to Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani for Qatar’s humanitarian efforts concerning the Ukrainian crisis.
Iran is currently preparing for a runoff election on Friday to select a successor to President Ebrahim Raisi, who tragically died in a helicopter crash in May.
