MOSCOW (Reuters) – A strategic cooperation agreement that Russia and Iran are poised to sign will not include a mutual defence clause like pacts that Moscow has signed with Pyongyang and Minsk, the state TASS news agency reported on Thursday, citing Iran’s envoy.
“The nature of this agreement is different. They (Belarus and North Korea) established partnership relations (with Moscow) in a number of areas that we did not particularly touch upon. Our country’s independence and security, as well as self-reliance, are extremely important. We are not interested in joining any bloc,” Kazem Jalali, Iran’s ambassador to Moscow, was cited as saying by TASS.
Russia has partnerships with North Korea and Belarus which include a mutual defence provision. Jalali was quoted as saying that Iran would ensure its own security.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are due to hold talks in Russia on Jan. 17 after which they will sign the long-awaited comprehensive strategic partnership pact, the Kremlin said on Monday.
(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Anastasia Teterevleva; Editing by Andrew Osborn)
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