Iranian Foreign Ministry has hailed expansion of Tehran and Moscow cooperation beyond bilateral ties and that the relation will help regional and international security.

Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on Friday on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the treaty on the basis for mutual relations and the principles of cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation.

The 20th anniversary of the treaty on the basis for mutual relations and the principles of cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation coincides with recent exchange of messages of leaders of both countries, the statement read.

According to the statement, the Islamic Republic sees the Russian Federation as a powerful neighboring state and its own friend based on cooperation and mutual respect, and is keen on increasingly expanding ties with the country in all fields.

Thanks to the determination of leaders and high-ranking officials of both countries, bilateral associations to secure common interests surpassed mutual cooperation to help ensure regional and international security, it added.

Russia and Iran agree upon international issues such as inhumane and unilateral sanctions, Western meddling in other countries’ internal affairs as well as getting in the way of third bodies to play their role in and the need for respecting international relations, the statement noted.