Yuri Ushakov, aide to President Vladimir Putin, told Russian media Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will meet his Russian counterpart on the sidelines of the two summits to discuss varius matters of “purely bilateral cooperation in trade, economy, and the military-technical field.”
He also added that the two premiers will confer on the results of the nuclear talks between Iran and the 5+1 group of countries which is likely to come to a conclusion on Friday.
President Rouhani who arrived in the Russian city of Ufa last night at the official invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is scheduled to address the summits of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on his two-day visit.
Rouhani has been invited to the BRICS summit as a special guest, while his attendance at the subsequent summit of the SCO comes as an observer member. The organization is awaiting the lifting of sanctions on Iran to accept it as its member.
BRICS accounts for a fifth of the world's economic output and represents 40 percent of the global population.
Rouhani’s visit comes as Iran and the six states are said to be wrapping up the over-a-decade long negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program on Friday.
Prior to his departure for Russia for the two major international summits, President Rouhani said Iran is preparing itself for the post-negotiations and post-sanctions era and is determined to expand relations with other countries regardless of the fate of the ongoing nuclear talks.
Also on Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in an article published on The Financial Times warned the 5+1 against coercion in talks, saying “there is growing acknowledgment that attempting to coerce a proud civilization into submission only leads to further conflict, resentment and hostility.”