Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed bilateral cooperation and joint projects with Iran's acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani in a telephone conversation. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to the strategic partnership, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.
"The sides reaffirmed their firm commitment to the unconditional continuation of the course chosen by the leaders of the two countries to form a strategic partnership between Russia and Iran and their readiness to implement all existing agreements and projects in various areas," the ministry said in a statement.
Lavrov also expressed his condolences to Kani over the deaths of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian in a helicopter crash, the ministry added.
The Iranian official thanked Russian leadership for its attention and support, as well as sincere sympathy and compassion for the Iranian people who have gone through this difficult ordeal.
The sides discussed bilateral and multilateral programs, Kani said, adding that regional and international cooperation between Russia and Iran was deepening.
Raisi's helicopter crash-landed on its way back to Iran on May 19, leaving the president and his delegation, which included Amirabdollahian, dead. Preliminary findings of an official Iranian probe suggest the helicopter caught fire after colliding with a hilltop amid think fog.