Putin calls Raeisi martyrdom ‘a great loss', says will continue to boost Iran ties
Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed deep sorrow over the martyrdom of his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raeisi, calling it “a great loss”.
Putin made the remark during a meeting with chairman of the State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, in Moscow on Tuesday.
“President Raeisi’s death is a great loss, first and foremost for Iran and its people. He was a very reliable partner, a direct, self-confident man, who was motivated by national interests,” Putin said.
He also described the late Iranian president as “a man of his word,” adding that “if we agreed on something with him, we could always be sure that those agreements would be fulfilled.”
Putin further noted that Moscow is ready to continue cooperation with Iran just like under Raeisi’s administration, pledging to do his best to ensure the continuation and development of Russian-Iranian relations in the same manner.
Putin announced Russia's readiness to help Iran investigate the causes of the copter crash that killed President Raisi and his accompanying delegation.
The Russian president further asked Volodin, who will travel to Tehran to attend the president's funeral ceremony on Wednesday, to convey his heartfelt condolences to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.
In an earlier message of condolence, Putin had called Raeisi a true friend who made serious efforts to develop the level of strategic cooperation between Moscow and Tehran.
Raeisi was martyred alongside his accompanying delegation, including Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, after their helicopter crashed in the Dizmar forest in East Azarbaijan Province on Sunday.
Rescuers found the wreckage of the helicopter early on Monday after hours of extensive search which involved more than 70 teams.
President Raeisi was returning from a location on the border with the Republic of Azerbaijan, where he inaugurated a dam with Azeri President Ilham Aliyev.
Following the tragic loss, world leaders sent condolence messages to the people of Iran.
Many countries, the neighboring states in particular, are observing days of mourning to honor the late president and those accompanying him.
In Iran, millions of mourners are gathering to honor the martyrs in towns and cities nationwide.
President Raeisi will be buried in his birthplace, the holy city of Mashhad, on Thursday.
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