News - Middle East: The defense chiefs of Iran and Belarus have signed a memorandum of understanding to improve cooperation in the defense sector.

The MoU was signed by Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani and his Belarusian counterpart Viktor Khrenin following a meeting in Tehran on Monday.

Pointing to the two countries' common stance on many regional and international issues, Ashtiani said Belarus has a special place in Iran's foreign policy.
He added that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's talks with senior Iranian officials in Tehran in March and his meeting with Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei indicate the significance of Minsk in Iran's foreign policy.
During Lukashenko's state visit to Tehran, Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi and his Belarusian counterpart signed eight agreements on various fields, including trade, transportation, agriculture and mining, under a cooperation roadmap which marked 30 years of diplomatic relations between the two counties.