Photo: Collected
Russia will not abandon Iran in the face of any pressure or demand, said Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the country’s Security Council. According to him, Moscow considers its partnership with Tehran a long-term and strategic relationship.
He said this in an interview given to an Iranian media outlet on Saturday.
Praising the unity and resolve of the Iranian people, Medvedev said he has seen the Iranian nation as extremely united and determined in defending its independence and its rights. He also said the massive and spontaneous participation of people in the mourning ceremony of the late leader of the Islamic Revolution in Tehran left a deep impression on his mind.
Medvedev, who served as president of Russia from 2008 to 2012, said he had visited Tehran on the direct instruction of President Vladimir Putin to attend the mourning ceremony and pay respect to Ayatollah Khamenei.
He said, ‘President Putin was extremely respectful towards the late leader. He personally asked me to take part in this ceremony.’
On bilateral cooperation between the two countries, Medvedev said relations between Iran and Russia have reached ‘unprecedented heights’. The volume of trade between the two countries grew by more than 20 per cent last year and this growth is continuing despite external pressure.
Saying that cooperation is also growing in the nuclear sector, he said this cooperation is not limited only to the first unit of the Bushehr nuclear power plant. Discussions are also under way on the construction of another large power plant and small modular reactors there. The construction work of units 2 and 3 of Bushehr is also continuing with the participation of Russian nuclear agency Rosatom.
Highlighting the importance of the Strait of Hormuz, Medvedev said it is such a strategic asset for Iran that its importance is equivalent to nuclear deterrence capability.
Finally, making his position clear, he said Moscow will never allow its relationship with the Islamic Republic of Iran to be ruined – no matter what anyone demands. Source: Press TV.
