Iran and Russia called for a boost to their comprehensive ties to benefit both countries, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said in a Thursday statement on his meeting with the visiting Russian foreign minister.

 

Raisi told Sergei Lavrov that continuous meetings and talks between the officials of Iran and Russia are a sign of serious will on both sides to shape a new era of bilateral "strategic cooperation," particularly in the economic field, said the statement issued by the presidential website.

 

"Strengthening cooperation and coordination is an effective way to counter U.S. sanctions and economic unilateralism against independent countries," Raisi was quoted as saying.

 

The Iranian president highlighted the importance of cooperation among the countries in the Caspian Sea region, saying the presence of any foreign military forces in the region should be "prohibited."

 

After a briefing by Lavrov on the latest developments of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Raisi stressed the importance of ending the conflict "as soon as possible" and Iran's readiness to help find a diplomatic solution to the conflict, said the statement.

 

"The provocative actions of the United States and NATO have been the cause of shaping these conflicts," he noted.

 

For his part, the top Russian diplomat elaborated on the dimensions of Moscow-Tehran cooperation in various fields and underscored Russia's readiness to upgrade cooperation with Iran to a strategic level.