TEHRAN -- Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said here on Friday evening that Iran and Russia, as neighboring states, share regional and international interests.

The Iranian foreign minister ended a two-day official visit to Russia and was back home Friday evening.

International developments and regional security were among the major items discussed by the Iran and Russia officials during his visit to Moscow, Kharrazi told reporters gathered in Mehrabad International Airport upon his return.

The two sides also discussed issues related to the Caspian Sea, he said, announcing that a meeting will be held on Caspian Sea issues in the near future.

On the Palestinian crisis and Moscow's stances on the issue, Kharrazi said Russia supports the Palestinian people in their struggle and is doing what it can, along with the European Union (EU) and the United Nations, to solve the problem in recognition of their legitimate rights.

Kharrazi, who arrived in Moscow on Thursday, was met at the city's airport by a number of Russian officials.

The Iranian foreign minister had originally been scheduled to visit Russia in February, but his trip had to be postponed "due to coordination problems in his agenda."

Meanwhile, during a meeting with Kharrazi on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed Iran's important role in affairs pertaining to Central Asia and the Middle East.

Praising Tehran-Moscow "historical and friendly ties," President Putin recalled "warm memories" of President Mohammad Khatami's visit last March to Russia and described the trip as "important."

Conveying President Khatami's "warmest greetings" to Putin, Kharrazi in turn said Tehran attaches great importance to ties with Moscow based on respect for mutual interests and the mutual desire to promote peace and security in the region.

Earlier, on Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov described relations between Tehran and Moscow as "excellent."

There are currently very strong reasons for further strengthening the ties between the two countries, the Russian foreign minister said during a meeting with his Iranian counterpart.

He expressed hope that issues pertaining to the countries' bilateral ties and cooperation on regional and international matters would be discussed by the two sides for their mutual benefit.

In the same direction, Ivanov said that the active political dialogue between Russia and Iran is an important factor for stability in the Central Asian region, describing the results of his talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi on Friday.

The sides signed a protocol on exchange of instruments of ratification to the treaty on fundamentals of relations and principles of cooperation between the two countries of March 12, 2001 as well as to the intergovernmental agreement on avoiding double taxation of March 6, 1998.

"The enacted treaty is a rock-firm foundation for the development of Iran-Russia relations in future," Ivanov noted in this connection.

The Russian minister noted that the main attention at the talks in the Foreign Ministry and at the meeting with President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin was given to pressing regional and international issues, among which struggle against international terrorism occupied a place of importance, IRNA reported.

"Our positions on a broad range of issues are close or coincide," the minister emphasized, adding, "we are convinced that this struggle should be of comprehensive and long-term nature, and it should be based on international law."