TEHRAN (Tasnim) � The director of the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies (RISS) said Iran and Russia have common enemies and rivals, calling for closer cooperation between the two countries in security studies.





Speaking in a meeting with visiting Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Jaberi Ansari in Moscow on Tuesday, Leonid Reshetnikov hailed the growing relations between Iran and Russia, saying that the two countries have much in common.

�Historically, the two nations share common enemies and rivals,� the Russian official added.

He further voiced his willingness to promote cooperation with the Iranian side in various areas of strategic studies.

Jaberi Ansari, for his part, underlined that the positive outcomes of Tehran-Moscow cooperation at the regional level are becoming clearer day by day.

One area in which Iran and Russia have had close cooperation is the anti-terrorism campaign in war-hit Syria.

Syria has been gripped by civil war since March 2011 with various terrorist groups, including Daesh (also known as ISIS or ISIL), currently controlling parts of it.

According to a report by the Syrian Center for Policy Research, the conflict has claimed the lives of over 470,000 people, injured 1.9 million others, and displaced nearly half of the country�s pre-war population of about 23 million within or beyond its borders.

In the meantime, Iran and Russia have remained close allies of Syria and support its legitimate government in the face of foreign-backed militancy.

By Tasnim News Agency