The upcoming regional tour by President Masoud Pezeshkian to Tajikistan and Russia aims to further expand mutual ties, the Director General of Public Relations for the Presidential Office Habibollah Abbasi told IRNA in an interview on January 14.

He noted that Pezeshkian is set to travel to Tajikistan and then to Russia on the second leg of his tour.

During the three-day trip starting tomorrow, the President will hold talks with high-ranking officials from the two countries, Abbasi said.

Pezeshkian will also meet with economic activists from both countries, he added.

On the first leg of the tour, the Iranian president will separately meet with the president, parliament speaker, and prime minister of Tajikistan, Abbasi said.

Pezeshkian will then travel to Moscow, where he will hold talks with the Russian president and prime minister, he added.

The official reportedly described the signing of the comprehensive strategic partnership deal between Tehran and Moscow as the key achievement of the president's visit to Russia.

"On January 17, Vladimir Putin will hold talks with the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian, who will come to Russia on an official visit," the Kremlin said in a statement on Monday.

“Earlier, Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali had said that the preserving Iran’s territorial integrity and independence was a priority when drafting the agreement and added that the agreement consists of one introduction and 47 articles,” IRNA said, noting that according to the ambassador, Iran and Russia had signed a comprehensive agreement, approved by the Iranian Parliament in 2001, which was a 20-year accord that concluded in 2021.

The previous agreement was automatically extended for a five-year period, he said, adding that top authorities of both nations reached the consensus that it should be revised to address contemporary issues.