Damir Mukhetdinov, acting chairman of the Religious Board of Muslims of Russia met Ali Asgari, head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting. The meeting was attended by Kazem Jalali, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Iran to the Russian Federation, and Ildar Galeyev, head of the International Department of the RBMRF.

Damir Mukhetdinov welcomed the delegates on behalf of the religious leader of the Russian Muslims, Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gainutdin, and congratulated them on the beginning of the new hijri year. He also expressed congratulations on the inauguration of the newly elected Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, which thad taken place a few days earlier.

"The Iranians are wise, resilient people. I am sure they will overcome any challenges", said Damir Mukhetdinov. He mentioned the important role of Iran and its predecessors in spreading the Islamic culture in Russia and noted the close ties of Russian Islam with Iran and Persian-speaking nations.

"Islam in the Russian Empire was greatly influenced by the Islamic Persian-speaking culture from the Central Asia. Many of our scholars studied in Khorezm, Samarkand and Bukhara. It should be noted that in the pre-revolutionary period, documentation in the Religious Administration was in Persian. This communication did not stop even during Soviet times. Our Muslim leaders, including muftis working in Russia and the CIS countries, studied in the madrassah Mir-Arab in Bukhara, so they are familiar with the Persian culture", he said.

He emphasized the role of the Embassy of Iran in establishing close relations with Iran in the spiritual and religious spheres, saying the following: "We express our gratitude to the Iranian Embassy for its consistent assistance, goodwill and openness".

Mr Ali Asghari, head of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, noted that Iranian-Russian relations were at a very high level and that Vladimir Putin, the Russian president and the Iranian spiritual leader Ayatollah Khamenei had a good friendly relationship. He also stressed the importance of developing spirituality and religious commitment in the society.

"I am very satisfied with the intellectual discussion of topics that vary from history and religion to literature. It is good to see that the clergy in Russia is not a passive onlooker of current events, but a direct participant with its own strategic vision" said Ali Asghari during his conversation with Damir Mukhetdinov.

The joint projects discussed included providing conditions for learning the Persian language at the Centre of the Persian Language and Literature at the Moscow Islamic Institute, and participation of the Iranian party in cultural and scientific events dedicated to the 1100th anniversary of adoption of Islam by the Volga Bulgarians.