TEHRAN — Iranian Armed Forces chief Mohammad Baqeri, who started a tour of Russia on Sunday, has said, "We have arms deals with Russia after the end of the arms embargo, and in this trip we will talk to the Russian side regarding all these cases."

Based on UN Security Council Resolution 2231, the arms embargo against Iran ended in October 2020.

"This trip is taking place at the beginning of the thirteenth administration, and Mr. Raisi's administration has a specific look to the East and Asian countries, and also the membership of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Shanghai Pact is an important event, and certainly the cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Russia will be further developed in this regard," Baqeri stated.

Major General Baqeri was visiting Moscow upon invitation by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

"We are cooperating with the Armed Forces of Russia, and in recent years this cooperation has expanded further. At this juncture, my visit is at the invitation of the Russian Minister of Defense. In addition to the bilateral military issues that we have and should pursue, the issue of Afghanistan is one of the issues that will be specifically discussed by the two sides," Baqeri said upon his arrival in Moscow. 

The top general stated that the events in Afghanistan would definitely affect the countries of the region, including the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Russian Federation, and other countries, and these issues would be raised during the trip, Fars News reported.

The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces said Iran and Russia have been cooperating in the fields of military training, military competitions, exchange of experiences, defense industry, and joint cooperation for full security in Syria. 

Baqeri’s visit to Russia took place immediately after his travel to Pakistan, where the two countries agreed to hold joint naval exercises.