Iranian leader expresses optimism for nuclear collaboration with Russia

Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian is upbeat about finalizing agreements on nuclear power plant construction, expressing his intentions during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on January 17.

“Our agreements on the construction of a nuclear power plant are good news. I think they will be finalized today,” Pezeshkian stated, underscoring the importance of the ongoing discussions, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

The leaders met in a private session before expanding the dialogue to include additional officials from both nations. The meeting is expected to culminate in the signing of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty, aimed at deepening ties across multiple sectors.

Ahead of the talks, Iranian Minister of Economy and Finance Ehsan Khanduzi highlighted Tehran’s readiness to bolster cooperation with Moscow in energy development, including nuclear, renewable, and other energy sources. "We are motivated to expand economic relations with Russia," Khanduzi said, emphasizing the potential for broader collaboration. He also pointed to the existing project to build the Bushehr nuclear power plant as a testament to successful joint efforts, calling it the largest Russian-Iranian energy initiative to date.

President Putin echoed the sentiment, reaffirming Russia’s commitment to ongoing and future energy projects with Iran. "We continue our major projects, including nuclear energy projects," Putin remarked during the meeting. "We have other possible projects in the field of energy."

Putin also expressed confidence that the forthcoming Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty would serve as a catalyst for strengthening economic ties. He highlighted recent growth in bilateral trade, noting a 15.5% increase in trade turnover during the first ten months of 2024. "On the whole, I consider the momentum gained to be quite acceptable," Putin said.

By Tamilla Hasanova