Iran and Russia have reached an agreement on expanding space research cooperation, says Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin.
Rogozin made the announcement following talks with Sorena Sattari, Iran’s vice president for science and technology, in Tehran on Wednesday.
"Russia and Iran have fair prospects for cooperation in the studies of outer space," the TASS news agency quoted Rogozin as saying.
He added that in addition to the already existing joint economic commissions, the two countries established earlier this year a high commission on technological cooperation, which is co-chaired by Sattari and Rogozin.
Following the meeting, which was, according to IRNA, the second of its kind, Sattari noted the fact that both Iran and Russia have a large number of scientific and technological specialists shows that there is the basis for increasing bilateral cooperation.
The Iranian vice president added that this is the first time that technology has become the “main pillar” in the Iran-Russia relations.
He said that the joint high commission is comprised of 10 specialist committees and sub-committees in the fields of space and aeronautics, nanotechnology, biological and medical technology, energy, and information technology.
Sattari went on to say that the most progress has been made in the space and aeronautics division, and that several areas have even reached the contract stage.