Iran's foreign minister to visit Moscow for joint commission

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi is scheduled to visit the Russian capital of Moscow later this month to attend the 10th Iran-Russia joint economic commission, Press TV reported.

The annual meeting of the Russian-Iranian Business Council (RIBC) is slated to be held on February 11-12 in Moscow.

Russia's Energy Minister Alexander Novak will represent his country in the event.

Iran's Ambassador to Moscow Reza Sajjadi said on January 14 that the RIBC was expected to discuss the expansion of trade as well as industrial, transportation, energy and consular cooperation between the two countries.

The RIBC was formed in 2006 and the two countries have signed documents for expanding bilateral economic cooperation in various fields such as nuclear energy, oil, gas, industry and tourism.

Iran and Russia have a close cooperation in other fields such as security, fighting drug trafficking and transportation.

On January 22, Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Alexandrovich Kolokoltsev signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to increase security cooperation between the two countries.

In January 2012, Iran and Russia inked an MoU to expand cooperation in road, railway and air transportations as well as technical and engineering fields.

Head of the Foreign Relations Department at the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industries Vladimir Padalko said on January 10 that, "Moscow will continue its trade cooperation with Iran and no problem can deter the development of the trade relations between the two countries."