Pezeshkian says close ties with neighbors ‘a priority’ as he leaves for Tajikistan
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has emphasized that the expansion of friendly relations with neighboring countries is a foreign policy priority for his administration as he embarks on an official trip to Tajikistan and Russia.
On Wednesday, the president left Tehran for Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. The visit comes at the invitation of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and is Pezeshkian’s first visit to the Eurasian region since he took office in late July.
Several key cabinet ministers and officials, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad, Finance Minister Abdolnaser Hemmati, and Mohammad Reza Farzin, the governor of the Central Bank of Iran, will accompany the president on the trip.
In a statement at Mehrabad Airport before his departure, Pezeshkian emphasized that enhancing relations with neighboring countries is a priority for his administration, as outlined by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.
“We will pursue this goal vigorously,” he stated.
The president is expected to sign new agreements in Tajikistan to expand cooperation in various sectors, including agriculture, science, industry, trade, transportation, and mining.
Pezeshkian will then travel to Moscow, where he and President Vladimir Putin are expected to sign a broad partnership pact between Iran and Russia on Friday.
The two presidents will discuss plans to expand trade and cooperation in transport, logistics, science, and technology and pressing regional and international issues.
Russia and Iran have cultivated closer relations in recent years as part of their efforts to counter Western sanctions and a campaign of pressure to isolate them internationally.
