TEHRAN – In a phone conversation late on Tuesday President Hassan Rouhani and Russian President Vladimir Putin called the Tehran-Moscow ties “strategic” and called a speedy implementation of the agreements between the two immediate neighbors.

Rouhani insisted on the need to strengthen ties in major areas, especially in the areas of commerce, economy, science, and medicine.

“The two countries should also continue their trade exchanges by observing health protocols,” Rouhani remarked. 

“Today all countries across the world are facing difficult situations, and in such a situation friendly countries should establish a ‘more intimate’ relationship,” the Iranian president added.

The two presidents also said it is necessary to strengthen cooperation in the struggle to contain the outbreak of coronavirus through collective cooperation.

Rouhani said coronavirus has spread all across the world and expressed hope that all countries would tackle the crisis through cooperation in the near future. He also said Iran and Russia can exchange experience in containing the pandemic disease.

Rouhani also pointed to the “illegal” sanctions on Iran and said in these hard times the U.S. is blocking the IMF to pay emergency loans to Iran.

In their phone conversation, Rouhani and Putin also talked about the need to advance the Astana peace process over Syria through trilateral talks, which involve Iran, Russia, and Turkey. 

The Russian leader also censured the U.S. sanctions against Iran a violation of human rights and said, “Unfortunately, the West talks a lot about human rights but they act differently in practice.”

PA/PA