TEHRAN – Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Middle East and African Affairs Hossein Jaberi Ansari said on Wednesday that the effective and growing regional cooperation between Iran and Russia is producing positive results by helping stabilize the Middle East region.

“The positive results of the cooperation between Iran and Russia at the regional level is being revealed day by day and this relationship is being expanded in various areas,” he said during a meeting in Moscow with director of the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies Leonid Reshetnikov.

The Iranian diplomat also praised Vladimir Putin’s “strategic” view toward the developments in the region and said Tehran is “firmly determined” to expand comprehensive ties with Russia.

Calling Iran and Russia two “influential” countries at the international stage, he said there are many capacities for expansion of ties.

For his part, Reshetnikov said that expansion of cooperation between Tehran and Moscow will be beneficial to the region.

He also said that “regional convergence” of Iran and Russia is very “valuable”.

The Iranian deputy foreign minister left Tehran for Moscow on Monday for talks with Russian officials on regional developments, especially the Syrian conflict.

Jaberi Ansari’s visit took place upon the invitation of Russian Deputy Foreign Minister for Middle East Mikhail Bogdanov. The visit started exactly the day that the truce in Syria went into effect.

Iran and Russia have been helping the Syrian government against the militants.

Jaberi Ansari said the current situation in the Middle East has provided a “historic opportunity” for cooperation between the two countries.

In an interview with Azerbaijani state news agency AZERTAC in early August, Putin said, "In certain areas, Russian-Iranian cooperation has already become strategic in nature.”

The Russian leader also said, "We are also interested in strengthening our partnership with Tehran in regional affairs. We consider it an important factor of maintaining stability and security across a large territory from Central Asia and the Caspian region to the Middle East.” 

NA/PA