Russia hails 'close' Iranian ties

Igor Sergeyev (L) meets President Khatami (R) in Iran

The Russian Defence Minister, Igor Sergeyev, has hailed the "very close" ties between Russia and Iran on the second day of a visit to Iran.

Our talks have been very positive and we have learned that we share very similar interests and positions

Russian Defence Minister Igor Sergeyev

The Iranian president, Mohammad Khatami, who met Mr Sergeyev on Wednesday, also called the visit "an important landmark, the culmination of establishing and developing bilateral relations" and said it would serve the interests of both countries.

After the meeting, President Khatami said he was planning an official visit to Moscow next year.

Mr Sergeyev's three-day visit is the first of its kind since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

The BBC correspondent in Tehran, Jim Muir, says the visit is an important one for both sides. For Iran, building closer co-operation with Moscow in military and other fields offers a practical way of resisting what it sees as American global hegemony.

American objections

Mr Sergeyev's visit comes less than two months after the Russians notified Washington that they were scrapping a secret understanding reached in 1995 not to supply Iran with military hardware such as tanks and submarines.

Iran and Russia have shared concerns over the Taleban's influence in Central Asia

The US has hinted at trade reprisals against Moscow but nothing has materialised.

The Defence Minister brushed off American objections, saying, "we are also not delighted about everything the Americans are doing."

Mr Sergeyev insisted Moscow would not break international agreements by selling arms to Iran and said any deal would not "prejudice a third country".

He also emphasised the two countries' regional security interests and said he hoped his visit would broaden their co-operation, "for the sake of stronger security and stability in Central Asia and in the world as a whole".

Fact-finding trip

Russian officials have said no new deals will be concluded on this visit and are portraying it as largely a fact-finding trip, which will enable them to assess the Iranian army.

Despite Russian and Iranian denials, the Americans are convinced that Russian defence institutions are already helping Iran develop long-range missiles such as the recently-announced Shahab III, which has a range of 1300km (800 miles).

But a Russian defence ministry official said technology transfers were not on the agenda during the Iran visit.

"What is at stake is only the delivery of conventional weapons," said Leonid Ivashov.