Baku, Azerbaijan, April 17
By Khalid Kazimov - Trend:
Supplying S-300 missile system to Iran indicates close and serious cooperation between Iran and Russia, a senior Iranian official said.
Ali Akbar Velayati, a top adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has said that Iran and Russia also have significant cooperation regarding the issue of Syria and the fight against terrorism, Tasnim news agency reported.
During a meeting with visiting Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj in Tehran, Velayati predicted a bright future for ties between Iran and Russia ties.
The cooperation between Iran and Russia will contribute to establishing security and peace in the region, he said.
Iran displayed the first batch of S-300 air defense system delivered by Russia recently during a ceremony to mark the National Army Day in Tehran on April 17.
Eariler on April 11, Hossein Jaber Ansari, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said that the country has received the first batch of S-300 missile system from Russia.
Iran and Russia have had ups and downs over the S-300 system deal which dates back to 2007. Iran filed a complaint against Russia at the International Court of Arbitration in 2010 as Moscow suspended the delivery of the system under the $800 million-deal due to the international sanctions on Tehran over its nuclear program.
However, with the scrapping of the international sanctions as part of a nuclear deal, which went into force Jan. 16, Iranian officials became confident that they would receive the missile system soon.