In a Wednesday meeting with Iran’s Ambassador to Moscow Mehdi Sanaei, Rogozin described the Islamic Republic as the only stable country in the “very sensitive” Middle East region and stressed the importance of ties and continued collaboration between Tehran and Moscow in this regard.

The Russian official pointed to the recent developments in the region and criticized negative role of certain powers in rising tensions in Ukraine and Afghanistan, urging vigilance against Western plots.

Sanaei, for his part, said that senior Iranian and Russian officials are determined to expand bilateral ties.

During a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in September 2013, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani stressed the significance of the bilateral negotiations in the resolution of the Middle East crises. The meeting was held on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek.

Rouhani has invited his Russian counterpart to pay an official visit to Iran.

SHI/SHI