Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian praised the gas supply deal with Russia when receiving Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in Tehran on September 30, the Moscow Times reported.
President Pezeshkian said the long-term gas deal signed earlier between the two countries was a "great example of cooperation" between Tehran and Moscow.
Iran's National Gas Company (NIGC) and Russian energy giant Gazprom signed a 30-year deal in June to deliver Russian gas to Iran as part of a swap deal.
Under the " Strategic deal," Iran will receive 300 million cubic metres of Russian gas per day via a new pipeline that Moscow plans to build under the Caspian Sea, in direct competition with Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan's plans for an east-west gas pipeline.
President Pezeshkian said the gas deal would help Iran become a "regional gas hub", serving the interests of both countries, promoting sustainable development and economic growth.
We believe that if important joint projects between Iran and Russia are implemented, they will create significant capacity for both countries to offset the bad sanctions, the Iranian president said.
Iran has been subject to US sanctions over a range of issues including its nuclear program since 2018, while Western sanctions have targeted Russia following its military campaign in Ukraine in 2022.
During talks in Tehran, Russian Prime Minister Mishustin discussed relations and prospects for economic cooperation with the Iranian leadership, according to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk.
The issues on the bilateral agenda discussed during the official visit also concern relations between Russia and Iran, identifying how to build relations in the context of the formation of a new world order, based on structures such as the BRICS group of emerging economies, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Euro-Union (EEU) - Deputy Prime Minister Overchuk informed on the governments Telegram channel.
President Pezeshkian said Iran, Russia and China could fight unilateralism through international entities such as the SCO and BRICS, which Iran has joined over the past two years.
The sides again discussed the ratification of a free trade agreement between the ASEAN-EU and Iran. The agreement is expected to enter into force in 2025.
Iran's prospect of joining the EEU as an expert was also discussed during the visit.
President Pezeshkian took this opportunity to criticize Israel for "creating tension" with attacks on Lebanon, culminating in the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on September 28.
