Kazem Jalali made the remarks during an interview with the Vedomosti news agency on the sidelines of the 27th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Sunday.
He emphasized Iran's determination to develop economic relations with Russia, and said the strategic cooperation agreement will be ready to sign after Iran's June 28 presidential elections.
"This agreement is in the final stages, and if it were not for the air incident involving the helicopter carrying the late Iranian president, this agreement could have already been signed," the ambassador said.
The strategic cooperation agreement between Iran and Russia was initiated in 2022 under the administration of the late Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a tragic helicopter crash last month.
The agreement aims to deepen bilateral ties in various areas, including political, economic, and security cooperation.
Jalali said, "I believe that after the Iranian presidential election, we can begin the groundwork for signing this agreement."
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