TEHRAN – In his first visit to Russia since taking over as president of Iran in last August, Ayatollah Seyed Ebrahim Raisi will pay a visit to Moscow on Wednesday.

The president of the Islamic Republic of Iran is visiting Russia tomorrow (Wednesday) at the official invitation of his Russian counterpart, in order to expand economic, political and cultural interactions between the two countries, the official website of the Iranian president said on Tuesday.

Raisi is going to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit to Moscow.

Addressing the Duma, meeting with Iranians residing in Russia, and meeting with Russian economic actors are some of the president's plans for the two-day trip.

The ministers of foreign affairs, petroleum and economy will accompany Raisi on the trip.

Ayatollah Raisi has already travelled to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan in line with the 13th administration's approach to maximizing ties with neighbors and regional countries.

The foreign minister of Iran and Russia spoke over the phone on Monday to discuss the visit. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed pleasure with the forthcoming visit of the Iranian president to Russia. He said all necessary arrangements have been made for this visit. The two sides described the trip as an important development in the relations between the two countries and a good opportunity to expand and deepen ties.

In September, President Putin and Ayatollah Raisi held phone talks and expressed hope to meet as soon as possible.  The Russian president called for coordination between the two presidents to meet at the earliest opportunity.

Referring to the Moscow-Tehran cooperation in the field of fighting COVID-19, as well as the joint production of the Sputnik vaccine, the Russian President stressed the continuation of this cooperation.

In the phone call the Iranian president said, "We are pursuing the development and deepening of cooperation between the two countries in all dimensions".

Ayatollah Raisi also stressed the need for continued cooperation between the two countries in fighting corona, including in the field of joint vaccine production, and said, "This cooperation should continue powerfully until the complete eradication of this global disease."

In November, the presidents of Iran and Russia spoke over the phone again. In the call, Ayatollah Raisi appreciated the phone call of the Russian president and said, "We are ready to finalize a comprehensive document on long-term cooperation between the two countries so that the process of further development of the relations and cooperation between the two countries can be implemented as soon as possible.”

He said that Tehran and Moscow share common views on many international issues, adding, "Countering unilateralism and strengthening multilateralism are among the common grounds of the two countries.”

Ayatollah Raisi stressed the need for cooperation between the two countries on regional issues, and said, "We consider the continued presence of outsiders in Syria illegal and against the will of the Syrian people and government because it threatens the stability and security of the country."

Referring to developments in Afghanistan, the Iranian president said, "We consider the presence of ISIS in Afghanistan dangerous for the region and the country, and we must be aware of the dangers of this conspiracy."

Ayatollah Raisi stated, "The Islamic Republic of Iran seeks to help establish an all-inclusive government with the participation of all ethnic and political groups, and we believe that the formation of such a government can guarantee the security of the country.”

He continued by appreciating Russia's position in defending Iran’s nuclear rights and the need to lift all sanctions against the Iranian nation, emphasizing, "The Islamic Republic of Iran is very serious in the negotiations and we are equally serious in ensuring the rights of our nation to lift sanctions as well.”

The president also welcomed Russia’s initiative for stability and peace in the Caucasus region. The two sides also stressed that "any change in the geopolitical state or change of borders of the countries in the region is not acceptable."

Ayatollah Raisi thanked the Russian leader and government for contributing to Iran's membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), as well as providing COVID-19 vaccines for Iran.

In the same phone call, Putin said that Tehran and Moscow share common position on many issues, adding, "Moscow supports Tehran's proposals in drafting a new document on long-term cooperation between the two countries, and we are determined to make it finalized and implemented as soon as possible.”

Emphasizing that Moscow attaches great importance to improving the level of economic relations and finalizing joint investment program with Iran, the Russian president said, "We are witnessing positive inclinations for increasing the level of bilateral, regional and international cooperation, and there is no doubt that the development of cooperation will accelerate.”

Referring to the two countries' cooperation on regional issues, especially Syria, Putin said, "By working together, we were able to preserve Syria's independence and destroy the terrorist hotspot in the country. Of course, we must continue our close cooperation, especially in various regional areas.”

Putin also expressed support for the rights of the Iranian people on the nuclear issue and expressed hope that in the future negotiations, the parties would have sufficient political will to get out of the current situation.

Expressing concern over the situation in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, Putin said, "To increase the level of trust and cooperation in the region, we seek to launch a 3+3 consultative mechanism, and we hope that the Islamic Republic of Iran will support it."

The Russian president concluded, "Russia is determined to continue cooperation in the fight against COVID-19 and sending vaccine shipments to Iran."

The Russian news agency TASS reported on Monday that President Raisi will address a meeting of the Russian State Duma lower house of parliament on Thursday.

"On Thursday, the meeting will begin with a speech of the president of Iran," TASS quoted First Deputy Speaker Alexander Zhukov as saying.