TEHRAN (Tasnim) � Belarusian Defense Minister Major General Andrei Ravkov stressed the need for utilizing the existing potentials for closer defense cooperation between Tehran and Minsk

In a meeting with his Iranian counterpart, Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan, Ravkov underlined that there are numerous potentials to boost cooperation between Iran and Belarus in various areas, especially in the area of defense.

The meeting took place Friday on the sidelines of the Fourth International Security Meeting in the Russian capital of Moscow.

The Belarusian official hailed Dehqan's speech at the conference and said the "valuable" stances of Iran, as a powerful and independent country, on international issues deserve respect.

The Iranian defense minister, for his part, said the two countries' shared views on regional and international issues can pave the way for further promotion of bilateral relations.

Dehqan also called for the formation of powerful regional coalitions against terrorism, violence and extremism.

The Moscow conference was held on April 16-17 with the participation of representatives of about 80 defense ministries.

By Tasnim News Agency