The Quiet Russian: Top Putin Aide in Tehran

When Iranian officials received Igor Levitin, a top aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, in Tehran July 4, the Iranians did most of the talking, and their Russian guest remained silent. This does not bode well for Iran’s expectations of Russian expertise and funding to develop its transportation and energy infrastructure.

• July 4: Centrist Shahrvand Online reported First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber’s meeting with Levitin in Tehran. Mokhber reportedly expressed satisfaction with the deepening and expansion of Iranian-Russian relations and said: “Negotiations during the visit of the head of the Central Bank of Russia to Iran … and the visit of Iran’s minister of roads and urban development to Russia were pathbreaking. Positive steps have been taken in removing obstacles to banking and the expansion of transit routes … We must follow up on existing problems with regard to establishing power plants and implementing memorandums of understanding concerning joint projects in the energy field.” Mokhber also emphasized the need to “utilize all potential in the logistics and transit fields” and “expand our ports … which requires speeding up the establishment of a joint shipping company and the expansion of cooperation in air transit.” Pointing to the importance of the north-south corridor between Iran and Russia, Mokhber said: “Russian companies should take advantage of investing in the Makran coastal strip and implement port and logistical center infrastructure. Speedy decision making is vital due to the neighboring countries and extraregional countries pursuing” similar projects in Pakistan.
• July 4: According to Nour News, the official mouthpiece of the Supreme National Security Council, while receiving Levitin in Tehran, SNSC Secretary Rear Admiral Ali Akbar Ahmadian said: “Global developments and their impact on geopolitical and geostrategic equations require both countries to engage in the speedy implementation of the north-south, western, marine, and eastern transit corridors … Speeding up the implementation of projects that have been agreed upon, including completing the north-west corridor, and memorandums of understanding in the oil and gas industry are among the most important priorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran in its bilateral relations with Russia … The memorandum of understanding concerning the Rasht-Astara railway that was signed by both countries in May is a firm step in consolidating economic relations between the two countries.” Levitin, in turn, congratulated Ahmadian on his appointment as SNSC secretary and “delivered a report concerning the latest developments in trade, banking, and joint economic projects.”

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