Russian Defence minister to Iran

The Russian defence minister, Igor Sergeyev, is expected to arrive in Iran shortly for the first visit of its kind since the Islamic revolution twenty-one years ago.

General Sergeyev is due to hold talks tomorrow with President Khatami and other senior officials.

They are expected to discuss military co-operation, prospects for a settlement in Afghanistan, and other issues of regional security.

General Sergeyev's visit comes less than two months after Russia abandoned an agreement with the United States not to supply Iran with weapons.

The Iranian defence minister Ali Shamkhani says the two countries intend to expand security and defence co-operation.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service