TEHRAN, Oct. 18 (MNA) – Three vessels of the Iranian Navy carrying a message of peace and friendship from Iranian nation were dispatched to the Russian port city of Astrakhan this morning.

The Iranian Navy vessels including Damavand destroyer, Joshan (Shield) and the Peykan (Arrow) will be docking at Russian port city in response to the Russian naval group that had docked in Iran in late July to consolidate cultural relations between Tehran and Moscow and preserve security in the Caspian Sea.

Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, the head of the Iranian Navy, said in August that any visit of a foreign naval fleet to Iran, including that of Russia, will be followed by a similar trip of an Iranian naval fleet to that country to carry out missions.

Captain Ahmad Reza Bagheri, the commander of the Iranian fleet, noted that the voyage was predicted to last 14 days, adding the Iranian vessels would then depart for Baku.

Bagheri expressed hope that such voyages would help cement friendly relations among all littoral states of the Caspian Sea with the aim to preserve this common heritage.

This is the second voyage of Iran’s northern naval fleet to Russia.  

 

MS/2943459