TEHRAN, Mar. 19 (MNA) – Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi held a phone call with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on Tuesday, during which the Russian president said that his country and Iran share positions on the Palestine issue.

In the phone conversation, President Raeisi once again offered congratulations to President Putin for securing the trust of the Russian people to be re-elected as the Russian President and expressed hope that the new Russian government will lay a suitable groundwork for further expansion of relations and constructive cooperation between the two nations in various fields.

The Iranian president considered the presence of the two countries in important regional organizations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS, as well as the efforts to implement the agreements made between the two countries, including the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway, as suitable groundwork for strengthening bilateral cooperation, particularly for the promotion of economic and commercial relations between the two countries.

Elsewhere in the telephone conversation, Raeisi emphasized the need for effective international action to stop the Zionist regime's criminal attacks and the need to lift the blockade on Gaza as well as provide humanitarian aid to the people of the besieged enclave.

The two presidents also touched upon shared regional interests, including in the Caucasus region.

Calling the developments in the South Caucasus region sensitive, Raeisi stressed the will and readiness of the Islamic Republic of Iran to preserve the stability of the region and the strategic interests of Iran.

The Russian president, for his part, expressed gratitude for the Iranian counterpart's congratulations and offered congratulations on the arrival of the holy Ramadan and Iranian new year to the Iranian government and nation.

He pointed to the imminent finalization of the draft comprehensive cooperation agreement between Iran and Russia, saying that, "The successful holding of the meeting of the joint commission for economic cooperation between the two countries in Tehran, as well as the 77% growth in goods trade between Iran and Russia are positive signs of the improvement in Tehran-Moscow cooperation."

Putin considered the Islamic Republic of Iran and Russia's presence in the BRICS and Shanghai organization as a valuable opportunity to deepen the interactions between the two sides, adding that, "The two countries have adopted similar stances on the issue of Israel's attacks on Gaza."

According to Putin, Russia is ready to cooperate more and more effectively with Iran when it comes to the Palestinian issue.

KI