Putin woos Iranian leader

Moscow – Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday hosted Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani for talks that were closely watched for signs of their next move in Syria.

Rouhani’s first official visit to Russia came as the two Syrian regime supporters push for ways to end the six-year conflict, having done much to marginalise US influence in peace talks.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Bahram Ghasemi said ahead of the trip that the leaders would discuss “regional issues especially the Syrian crisis, solutions to end it quickly,” as well as ways to counter “terrorism and extremism”.

Rouhani – accompanied by Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh and other high-ranking officials – is expected to sign more than 10 economic cooperation agreements with Russia, according to Iranian state media.

Late on Monday Rouhani met Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, with the Iranian president saying he hoped his visit would mark a “new turning point” in relations, Russian state media reported.

The Kremlin said in a statement this month that Rouhani’s trip would focus in part on “the prospects of expanding trade, economic and investment ties”.

In addition to cooperation on Syria, energy and defence ties between Iran and Russia have grown despite meagre trade relations.

Russia is to build nine of Iran’s 20 nuclear reactors in the coming years and has also emerged as a long-term arms partner for Iran.

The relationship has blossomed under Rouhani despite the countries having a complicated history over territory, oil, and communism. –