4 Sep 2018 20:12

Russian-Iranian inter-parliamentary meeting to focus on economic cooperation, countering terrorism - Slutsky

MOSCOW. Sept 4 (Interfax) - Trade and economic issues and countering terrorism will be discussed at the Russian-Iranian inter-parliamentary meeting in Volgograd on September 6, State Duma Foreign Affairs Committee head Leonid Slutsky said.

"The first meeting of the commission for cooperation between the State Duma and Iran's Islamic Consultative Assembly [parliament] will take place in Volgograd on September 6. It is a high-level inter-parliamentary commission headed by State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin and Iranian Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani. The parties are to discuss the parliaments' objectives of the promotion of trade and economic cooperation between Russian and Iran and interaction on this track between regions of the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran," Slutsky told reporters on Tuesday.

The parties are to discuss the parliaments' assistance to the implementation of Russian-Iranian projects of an infrastructural importance, he said.

"We are not afraid of sanctions. We will develop contacts in the sectors of nuclear energy, oil and gas production, the railway industry, as well as in the construction of facilities of the port infrastructure on the Caspian Sea," he said.

In addition, countering terrorism is also on the agenda of the discussion.

"It is particularly important in the context of the Syrian settlement, as well as the upcoming Russian-Iranian-Turkish summit in Tehran on September 7," he said.

"We are also planning to address the issue of preparations for the parliamentary speakers' conference on terrorism and international cooperation," the lawmaker said.

"We are determined to discuss the prospects of the change of the situation in the Persian Gulf, the Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the Middle East. Cooperation between the parliament of Russia and Iran is on an upward trajectory. I am confident that the commission's meeting will be very interesting," Slutsky said.