"Iran has been one of Russia's key partners in the region and it will remain so in future," Secretary of Russia's National Security Council Nikolai Patrushev told reporters after meeting his Iranian counterpart Ali Shamkhani in Tehran on Tuesday.
Patrushev pointed to his meeting with Shamkhani, and said, "The two sides have similar and close views on many key regional issues and we had serious exchange of views on the situation in Syria, Iraq and Libya."
The secretary of Russia's National Security Council reiterated the willingness of his country to strengthen mutual cooperation with Tehran in its confrontation against terrorist threats, and said, "Russia resolutely condemns terrorism in its different forms and types."
Earlier today, Patrushev in his meeting with Shamkhani underscored Tehran's right to use nuclear energy for civilian purposes.
"It is Iran's inalienable right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes and the existing issues in this case should be resolved through political negotiations with the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, France and Britain plus China)," Patrushev said during the meeting in the Iranian capital today.
The secretary of the Russian National Security Council, meantime, reiterated the need for the removal of security challenges on the basis of international laws, and said, "Iran and Russia are required to have continued exchange of views and regular consultations in order to increase mutual understanding of exigencies and priorities of their cooperation."
Shamkhani, for his part, pointed to the two countries' common stances in the war on terrorism and opposition for unilateralism in resolving international crises, and said, "Expansion of all-out relations between Iran and Russia will result in remarkable achievements in the attainment of the two countries' national interests and reinforcement of regional stability and security."
Patrushev arrived in Tehran on Monday night to discuss the latest developments on the regional and international scenes, and exchange views over enhancement of Tehran-Moscow relations.
Patrushev's visit takes place at the invitation of Shamkhani.
During his three-day trip, the senior Russian security official is slated to hold separate meetings with Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to explore new ways of ending the current crisis in the region, including Iraq and Syria.
