The expected meeting in Bishkek comes as Tehran and Moscow deepen nuclear cooperation, including plans for new power plants near the Persian Gulf
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Russian President Vladimir Putin are likely to meet next week, as Tehran and Moscow deepen their cooperation in the nuclear energy sector.
According to a CNN report, citing Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency, Iran’s Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali said the meeting would take place on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Kyrgyzstan.
The meeting comes shortly after Iran and Russia reached a major agreement covering the construction of new nuclear power plants, with the proposed projects valued at around $25 billion.
Jalali said Tehran and Moscow had agreed to a “$25 billion memorandum of understanding” for the construction of new nuclear facilities.
He added that land has already been designated near the Persian Gulf for one of the planned plants.
The agreement marks a further expansion of nuclear cooperation between Iran and Russia and comes as Tehran faces heightened geopolitical tensions with the US and its allies.
Jalali also stressed that the agreement with Russia is separate from a Memorandum of Understanding signed between Iran and the US in June.
Pezeshkian-Putin meeting at SCO
The meeting between Pezeshkian and Putin is expected to provide an opportunity for the two leaders to discuss bilateral ties as well as broader regional and international developments.
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The SCO summit in Bishkek is set to bring together leaders from its member states, including China, Russia, India, Iran and Pakistan.
The organisation serves as a platform for its members to discuss issues including regional security, political cooperation, trade and economic ties.
The SCO currently has 10 members – China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan, Belarus and Iran.
The upcoming summit is also expected to provide an important diplomatic platform for discussions among countries amid continuing tensions across West Asia and wider Eurasian region.
With inputs from agencies