Moscow, March 24, IRNA – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov discussed mutual cooperation in countering coronavirus in a phone call late on Tuesday.

Russian Foreign Ministry in a statement announced that both sides reviewed issues on the coronavirus pandemic and evaluated mutual collaboration in fighting the highly contagious disease as excellent.

During the telephone conversation, Lavrov underlined his country's resolve to continue all-out trade and economic cooperation with Iran and help it increase agricultural exports for which the good neighbor needs under the US illegal sanctions.

He also pointed out that Russian will resolutely ask Washington to remove its inhumane sanctions which have created obstacles in the way of the government's fight against the deadly coronavirus.

Earlier, head of Iran's Health Ministry Public Relations Office said that 8,913 people out of a total of 24,811 infected by the coronavirus have survived the deadly disease while 1,934 have lost their lives to it.

Kianoush Jahanpour said that 1,762 new affected cases of COVID-19 infections have been detected since yesterday (Monday).

Over the last 24 hours, 122 people have lost their lives to the deadly virus, he added.

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