Tehran, IRNA – Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali says the Islamic Republic and Russia can cooperate despite the rivalry in the energy sector between the two countries.

It has always been said that Tehran and Moscow are unable to cooperate in economic spheres, which has been proven incorrect in recent years, Jalali has said in an interview with IRNA which was published on Tuesday.

When I was sent as an envoy to Moscow, some people said that Iran and Russia, enjoying energy-based economies, could never cooperate due to being rivals in energy, he said.

Both countries are able enough to cooperate even beyond the energy sector, he further noted., adding that Iran and Russia are currently cooperating in the field of energy.

Russians had the largest share of investment in Iran in 2023, he said. "The investments were mainly in the oil sector."

The joint commission meeting for economic cooperation between Iran and Russia is set to take place in Tehran on February 28 co-chaired by Iranian Oil Minister Javad Owji and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak.

Special committees started on February 26 to draft the agenda for the talks and are expected to complete their proposals for enhancing bilateral relations.

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