Chairman of Irans Expediency Council Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani[/caption]TEHRAN (FNA)- Chairman of Iran's Expediency Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani called for the further expansion of Tehran-Moscow relations in a bid to confront the western sanctions.
"Vicinity, common sea border in the Caspian Sea and also the two countries' rich (natural) resources should be the best reasons for the two countries' officials to strengthen their relations and confront the western sanctions," Rafsanjani said in a meeting with Russian Ambassador Levan Jagarian to Tehran on Saturday.
The chairman of Iran's Expediency Council underlined that Iran and Russia have abundant capacities for broadening their ties.
Jagarian, for his part, pointed to the failure of West's sanctions policy against Russia and Iran, and said, "Sanctions do not work for those countries that have every resource (that they need) and it would have been wise for the western countries to opt for talks rather than imposing sanctions (against Iran and Russia)."
He pointed to the future of Russia-Iran relations, and said, "Everything, specially the two countries' interests, is a reminder of the fact that Moscow-Russia ties should be expanded."
In September, Iranian Deputy Oil Minister for Planning Mansour Moazzemi announced that the country has started a new set of cooperation with Russia and China to confront the sanctions imposed by the West.
We have started a serious job with the Chinese and Russians (in the energy sector) in such a strong way that the oil minister has now been appointed as the head of Iran-Russia joint economic commission instead of the foreign minister and we have started a good job to make use of the common capacities and capabilities, Moazzemi said in a press conference at the time.
Russia is Irans strategic partner and we will cooperate with them in any area we can, including oil, he added.
He underlined that Irans cooperation with Moscow and Beijing is aimed at confronting the Western sanctions against Iran, and said, It is natural for Iran to be willing to bypass the sanctions, and dont want to be stopped behind the dam of the sanctions and make use of every method to break it."
By Fars News Agency
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