Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Kyrgyzstan. Putin said that relations between Russia and Iran were steadily developing across all areas in line with the spirit and provisions of the comprehensive strategic partnership agreement.
Putin said Russia stood in solidarity with the Iranian people and admired the courage and resilience Iran had shown while defending its national interests. He also asked that messages of support be conveyed to Iran's religious leader, Mojtaba Hossein Khamenei.
Iran-US ceasefire described as fragile
Assessing the Iran-US ceasefire agreement signed in June, Putin said the accord was welcome but unstable and fragile. He said Russia was trying to help Iran obtain the products it needed during this difficult period.
The Russian leader also said that trade and economic cooperation between Russia and Iran had maintained the momentum it gained last year. According to Putin, the regularly operating intergovernmental commission, along with the free trade agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and Iran, contributed to this result.
Number of Iranian students approaches 9,000
Putin said humanitarian cooperation between the two countries was expanding and announced that the number of Iranian students studying in Russia had increased. He said the number of Iranian students in Russia had approached 9,000 during the 2025-2026 academic year, while 802 students were studying with funding from the Russian budget.
Putin said the parties had many issues to discuss. He added that he was pleased to have the opportunity to hold talks with Pezeshkian and the Iranian delegation.
Masoud Pezeshkian also said he was confident that Tehran would emerge victorious from the process in which it was confronting the United States. The Iranian president said they were fighting against unipolarity and wanted to move beyond the limits of that system.
