Global Courant
Tehran, Iran
Iranian police and Russian National Guard signed a long-term cooperation agreement aimed at increasing synergies between them in the fields of security and law enforcement.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in Moscow by the Chief of Iran’s Police Forces, Ahmed-Reza Radan, and the head of the Russian National Guard, Viktor Zolotov.
The newly appointed Iranian police chief arrived in the Russian capital on Tuesday for his first overseas trip amid growing cooperation between Tehran and Moscow.
Radan said that he expects his visit to open a chapter for deeper security cooperation between Iran and Russia, especially in the fight against terrorism, drugs and organized crime.
According to Iran’s state news agency IRNA, the MoU calls for expanding security and law enforcement cooperation between the two sides and sharing experiences in dealing with factors fueling insecurity.
Earlier on Wednesday, Radan met with Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, and both officials agreed to boost bilateral co-operation in the fight against terrorism, organized crime and trafficking in drugs, weapons and ammunition, according to IRNA.
Iran and Russia, both staggering under Western sanctions, have emerged as all-weather allies in recent years and have increased cooperation in various fields, including security.
Iran is accused by Western countries of supplying drones to Russia for use in the Ukraine war, where the United States and its allies have imposed a series of sanctions on both Tehran and Moscow since last year.
Earlier in the day, the chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, General Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, spoke with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu about the latest developments, including the failed armed insurgency by the paramilitary Wagner Group.
The two officials called for strengthening defense cooperation between the two countries, state media reported.
After the Wagner Group’s actions in Russia, the presidents and foreign ministers of the two countries also met with each other.
President Ibrahim Raisi reiterated Iran’s support for Russia’s “national sovereignty” in a phone call with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on Monday.
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