Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that President Masoud Pezeshkian will travel to Moscow next week to meet his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, as part of ongoing consultations between the two countries regarding bilateral cooperation and regional developments. Araghchi noted, in a message addressing the recent visit of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to Tehran, that the talks focused on developing political and economic cooperation, implementing joint agreements, and strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership between Iran and Russia. The state-run Mehr News Agency quoted Araghchi as saying: "During this visit, we stressed the importance of continuing consultations to protect mutual interests and enhance regional peace and stability. This dialogue and these consultations will continue next week in Moscow in the presence of the presidents of both countries." Lavrov visited Tehran on Monday, marking his first visit to Iran since the eruption of the war on February 28, where he met with Pezeshkian and Araghchi. In a joint press conference with Araghchi, he said that Pezeshkian might visit Moscow "in the coming days," without specifying a date. Lavrov called for a return to the pre-war status quo in the Strait of Hormuz, including the "restoration of freedom of navigation and guarantees against a recurrence of aggression," adding that Russia was ready to search for a way to resolve the crisis. Russia "has no intention of abandoning the implementation of economic and investment agreements with Iran" despite the "difficult situation," he said, revealing that Russian experts are "gradually returning to the Bushehr nuclear plant". Trade exchange between Moscow and Tehran grew by 21 percent last year, he added. Pezeshkian and Putin recently met in Turkmenistan. Putin had informed Pezeshkian in early October of Moscow's readiness to contribute to mediation efforts.
