On Tuesday, July 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin will go to Iran as part of his second overseas trip since beginning the invasion of Ukraine in February.
Putin will meet with both Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
According to press statements from Iran, Turkey and Russia, Grain exports, Syria and Ukraine will be discussed in Tehran.
Putin has limited his international visits to former Soviet states since war broke out in Ukraine.
In June, Putin made his first international trip since February when he visited Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, both former members of the USSR now led by authoritarian rulers and Russian allies.
Iran is one of Moscow’s few remaining international allies and a fellow target of Western economic sanctions.
Putin’s visit comes after allegations by US officials last week that Tehran was planning to supply Russia with hundreds of drones for its war in Ukraine.
“The contact with Khamenei is very important,” Yuri Ushakov, Mr Putin’s top foreign policy adviser, told a media briefing on Monday. “A trusting dialogue has developed between them on the most important issues on the bilateral and international agenda.”
Turkey has refused to impose sanctions on Moscow since Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, with Erdogan’s government seeking to play the role of mediator.
The meeting offers the Turkish leader the opportunity to provide a tentative agreement between Russian and Ukrainian leaders to ensure the export of 22 million tonnes of needed grain impacted by Ukraine’s war with.
“The issue of Ukrainian grain shipment will be discussed with Erdogan,” Mr Ushakov said. “We are ready to continue work on this track.”
