Qalibaf sought to deliver the message to Putin in a bilateral meeting; however, after the Russian president declined to meet him, he handed over the message to chairman of the Russian State Duma Vyacheslav Viktorovich Volodin.
The Iranian top lawmaker had earlier said he was carrying an “important message” from Ayatollah Khamenei for Putin in his visit to Moscow.
“On my first official visit, I am carrying the Leader’s message for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin,” Qalibaf said upon arrival in Moscow on Sunday night, adding the message concerns the strategic ties between the two states.
“Relations between the Islamic Republic and the Russian Federation are based on a long-term strategic approach, and accordingly, the parliaments of the two countries will negotiate and cooperate to deepen, direct and lay the groundwork for bilateral ties.”
Iran’s top parliamentarian further touched on the West’s oppressive sanctions on Russia and Iran, saying the two countries are working together in various economic fields to reduce the impact of the measures.
Moreover, he noted, the 2015 nuclear agreement between Tehran and world powers, the coronavirus pandemic, the import of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, and the continuation of Iran-Russia cooperation in the healthcare sector are on the agenda of the talks in Moscow.
In his trip to Moscow, Qalibaf is expected to sit down for talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Larvov and Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev
