Russia's Putin due to meet Khamenei, Rouhani in Iran

The president is due in Iran to attend a summit of gas exporting countries, his aide, Yuri Ushakov, told reporters, in a sign of warming ties between Moscow and Tehran.

By JPOST.COM STAFF, REUTERS
President Vladimir Putin (R) meets with Iran's President Hassan Rouhani in Ufa, Russia (photo credit: REUTERS)
President Vladimir Putin (R) meets with Iran's President Hassan Rouhani in Ufa, Russia
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to meet with Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during his visit to Tehran on Monday, the Kremlin announced on Friday.
The president is due in Iran to attend a summit of gas exporting countries, his aide, Yuri Ushakov, told reporters, in a sign of warming ties between Moscow and Tehran.
The visit will be Putin's first to Iran since 2007 and he is also expected to hold talks with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Ushakov told reporters.
Iran is to host a Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) on Nov. 23, in preparation for the lifting of Western sanctions next year under the terms of a nuclear deal struck in July.
Tehran has recently strengthened ties with Moscow, which is considering providing two loans worth a total of $7 billion to Iran.
Russia has insisted on Tehran's inclusion in international talks over Syria where the two countries are coordinating their efforts to help President Bashar Assad defeat Islamist militants.
The Kommersant newspaper has also reported that Russia is to press ahead with a plan to supply Iran with S-300 air defense missiles, despite concerns from the United States and Israel.
Ushakov also confirmed that Putin would attend a United Nations conference on climate change which starts in Paris on Nov. 30.