SIGNIFICANCE OF THE VISIT OF IRANIAN PRESIDENT A MOSCOW








MOSCOW, March 12.  (Corr. Ria " Novosti ").  The official visit that
the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mohamad Khatemi, starts
this Monday has Moscow is a major event in the relations between the
two countries.

It is not a question so much owing to the fact that the visit of the
president iralien is the premiere effectuee has this level in the
history of the reports/ratios of the Federation of Russia with the
Islamic Republic of Iran.  In the new design of the policy etrangere
of the Federation of Russia, which has ete made public in July of the
year derniere, Iran east quotes, with some other States very few, in
the capacity as essential strategic partner of Russia.

The situation which evolves/moves in a dynamic way in a vast area
including the Large Caucasus, the Caspian one, the Central Asia,
Afghanistan and, finally, the Middle East, or Russia and Iran
historically have national interests which coincident sometimes,
encourages Moscow and Teheran has to establish an active partnership.
  In Moscow as well as has Teheran of many experts relevent as "
Russia and Iran is dedicate has to establish a partnership strategic
".

For the president of the Committee of the defense of Douma (Lower
House of the Parliament), Andrei Nikolaiev, " it are in the interest
of Russia to have in the person of Iran a powerful State on the axis
meridional ".

Of its dimension, Teheran estimates that " Russia is a significant
partner and a good neighbor of Iran, with which it is appropriate to
develop multiform relations in the interest of the people of the two
countries ".  According to Hamidrsa Asafi, a high Iranian diplomat
places, the "Iran considers the reinforcement of the co-operation
Russo-Iranian woman like a factor securisant and tranquillizing in a
vast area of the world ".

In addition, the experts of the two countries point out that " Russia
and Iran will still have to use the possibilities they have to develop
the co-operation bilaterale ".  According to them, the level of trade
is far from corresponding has that of political collaboration.
According to official figures', the turnover between Russia and Iran
have ete in year 2000 of 600 million dollars.  However, as thinks it
the ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Russia, Mehdi
Safari, the two countries have in the only petro-gas sector a
potential making it possible to carry the amount of annual trade has
1-2 billion dollars.

It is not fortuitously that the Agreement on the principles of the
relations bilaterales and the co-operation will constitute the
principal document that the presidents of the two countries will sign
has Moscow.  It is about an outline agreement and he will not replace
the lilateraux governmental agreements into force.  The mediums of
businesses of the two countries associate has this document of the
plans of expansion and deepening of the co-operation in the economy,
finances and the trade.  According to them, the visit of Mohamad
Khatemi " will conferera fresh impulse " with the development of the
relations Russo-Iranian women in these fields.

The presidents Vladimir Poutine and Mohamad Khatemi will also sign a
joint declaration on strategic stability, the fight against terrorism,
the international security and will expose their position with respect
to problems as nonthe dissemination of the nuclear weapons, the
respect of Draft ABM of 1972 on anti-missile defense, the extension of
NATO towards the East, the role of UNO on the international scene as
well as about current regionaux files.