Wed Jun 26, 2013 20:07:35
An Iranian naval fleet has been dispatched to the Russian port city of Astrakhan as part of moves to consolidate friendly relations between Tehran and Moscow, a deputy commander of the Iranian Navy says.
“Two missile-launching warships, which were manufactured by the Iranian young specialists and joined the naval forces in 2003 and 2006, have been dispatched for the first time to Russia’s Astrakhan Port in the form of a naval group,” said Rear Admiral Siavash Jarreh on Wednesday.
The measure is aimed at consolidating the amicable ties between Iran and Russia and conveying Tehran’s message of peace and friendship to the Caspian Sea littoral states, the Iranian commander added.
During the Iranian naval fleet’s stay at Astrakhan Port, the Iranian naval officers will visit some military and port facilities in Russia and hold meetings with a number of high-ranking Russian commanders and officials, Jarreh pointed out.
On April 21, a group of Russian Navy warships docked at the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas after a long journey from the Pacific Ocean.
The fleet, which comprised of Admiral Panteleyev anti-submarine destroyer and the logistic battleships Peresvet and Admiral Nevelskoi with a crew of 712, entered the Iranian naval zone with the purpose of strengthening relations between Tehran and Moscow and promoting bilateral naval cooperation to maintain maritime security.
In recent years, Iran’s Navy has been increasing its presence in international waters to protect naval routes and provide security for merchant vessels and tankers.
The Islamic Republic has repeatedly asserted that its overseas naval presence is meant to convey a message of peace and friendship to other countries.
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