Sputnik - Russia and Iran agreed to strengthen the military, technical and technological cooperation after new US sanctions.
RussianDeputy Prime Minister Rogozin will discuss arms supply withIranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan inTehran onSaturday, asthe countries tentatively agreed tostrengthen military and technical and technological cooperation afternew US sanctions, a source inRogozins office said.
Rogozin is set tovisit Iran onSaturday tolead the Russian delegation tothe inauguration ceremony ofre-elected Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
"Rogozin will meet withIranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan todiscuss several matters, including new supplies ofRussian arms," the source said, adding that the parties "have reached a tentative agreement toincrease military and technical and technological cooperation afterboth countries have been includedtothe sanctions list."
The source added that the Russian delegation will work onthe possibility ofsigning new deals.
Apart fromthat, the Deputy Prime Minister is expected tomeet withIranian Vice President forScience and Technology Sorena Sattari todiscuss the transferof advanced technologies and training ofIranian specialists inRussia.
Last week, the US Congress approved a bill onnew sanctions againstIran,North Koreaand Russia and news emerged that Trump intended tosign it.The US presidentapproved the sanctions bill last Wednesday. The law specifically targets Russian energy sector and energy companies and provides forcounteracting the Nord Stream 2 pipeline construction, asthe United States believes the project threatens the energy security ofUkraine andthe European Union, proposing toexport US energy toensure the energy security ofUS allies.
On July 28, Moscow announced countermeasures inresponse tothe US sanctions bill and tothe expulsion of35 Russian diplomatic staff fromthe United States inlate 2016. The measures include the reduction ofthe United States' diplomatic presence to455 people, or the same number ofRussian diplomatic workers currently residing inthe United States.