TEHRAN - Major General Mohammad Baqeri, the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, has said that Tehran and Moscow are working on a long-term cooperation document.

Sergei Shoigu, the Russian Defense Minister, arrived in Tehran on Tuesday afternoon, according to state news agency IRNA.

In the meeting, General Bagheri underlined the importance of boosting Iran-Russia relations.

“According to the decision of the leaders of the two countries, the relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Federal Republic of Russia are on the path of growth and development, and fortunately, this relationship has gained new dimensions over time,” the top Iranian general said, according to IRNA.

He added, “The developments that have occurred in the world today indicate that the period of the unipolar world has ended and the structure of the international system is moving towards a multipolar world. The results of the positions of Iran and Russia also indicate the same issue that the movement of global developments towards the multipolar system is accelerating.”

Addressing the Russian defense minister, General Bagheri said, “Your Excellency’s speech at the Moscow Security Conference also shows the movement of the global power structure and the balance of power towards the multipolar system.”

He noted, “The opinion of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution is that the long-term cooperation between Iran and Russia is in the interest of both countries and for this reason, the long-term cooperation document between Iran and Russia is being drafted. This document has strong military and defense dimensions and can be a suitable platform for the development of long-term cooperation between the two countries."

Shoigu visited Tehran on Tuesday afternoon to strengthen military ties with Iran and make better coordination between the two countries in the fight against terrorism.

The Russian defense minister was warmly received by General Baqeri.

They discussed improving defense diplomacy, strengthening bilateral cooperation, and confronting common dangers, including international terrorism. The chief of the staff of the armed forces emphasized the need for the efforts of the two countries to promote bilateral cooperation.

“Despite the development that has been made in the relations between the two countries in recent years, we still believe that there are significant unused capacities in the relations between the two countries. The relations between the two countries should be brought to the desired level with more efforts,” he added.

General Bagheri continued, “The military sectors of Iran and Russia are actually among the pioneers in promoting the relations between the two countries, and without a doubt, holding joint military and defense commissions between the two countries can accelerate the process of this growing path.”

He stated, “So far, favorable cooperation has been carried out between the naval forces of the two countries, in this regard, joint naval exercises can be mentioned, and this process should be developed.”

General Bagheri said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran called the holding of a joint exercise in February next year as an opportunity to improve the level of defense and military relations between the two countries.”

He also announced Iran’s readiness to settle regional disputes and resolve differences between the two neighboring countries of Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The Russian defense minister, for his part, stated that the purpose of his trip is to develop defense cooperation in line with the interests of the two countries. Shoigu announced his country’s readiness to resolve the disputes between the neighboring countries of Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Shoigu also met with Ali Akbar Ahmadian, the secreterary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. In this meeting, bilateral, regional and international issues were discussed. The situation in the South Caucasus region was especially reviewed. The two sides also underlined the need for expanding Iran-Russia relations.

Shoigu also paid a visit to a drone and missile exhibition held by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).