Iran has stated that it does not recognize Crimea and other occupied Ukrainian territories as part of Russia.

The President of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, and the Russian dictator Putin will sign a Comprehensive Partnership Agreement in Moscow on January 17, which will govern bilateral relations for the next 20 years. However, the document does not include the recognition of Crimea or any other Ukrainian territories as Russian.

Source. This was reported by Middle East Eye citing its correspondent in Tehran and informed sources.

The agreement consists of 47 articles covering various areas of cooperation:

• technology and cybersecurity;
• civil nuclear energy;
• fighting terrorism and organized crime;
•  environmental issues;
• combating money laundering.

The document also addresses defense issues, including the training of military specialists and the implementation of joint initiatives. However, specific details of such projects will require further coordination, noted a source from the Iranian government to the publication.

A separate clause prohibits both parties from: supporting aggressors against each other; allowing their territory to be used for attacks on the other side.

Iran and Russia have agreed to jointly counter "illegal sanctions," including U.S. secondary sanctions, as well as to support each other on international platforms.

As one senior Iranian official told Middle East Eye, the draft agreement was finalized after "20-30 rounds of negotiations" that lasted "four to five years."

The Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian previously stated in an interview with the Turkish channel TRT World that Tehran does not recognize Crimea, as well as the Donetsk and Luhansk regions as part of Russia.

"We advocate for adherence to international law and the territorial integrity of all countries. Despite the good relations between Tehran and Moscow, Iran does not recognize the annexation of Crimea and other territories of Ukraine," said the minister of the country that produces the "Shahed" drones used by Russia to bombard Ukrainian cities.

Iran condemns wars and military conflicts, including events in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Palestine, and Afghanistan, Abdollahian added: "Similarly, we are against war and the displacement of people in Ukraine."