TEHRAN – Top tech Iranian and Russian companies have signed five memoranda of understanding (MOUs) on artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity,  smart government, blockchain and fintech, regulators, technology parks, and post services, to promote cooperation in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector.

The MOUs were signed on Friday in Russia during the fifth Iran-Russia ICT Forum held from December 6 to 7, IRNA reported.

An Iranian delegation led by the deputy ICT Minister for Technology and Innovation, Meysam Abedi, attended the forum.

Referring to the strategic partnership between Iran and Russia, Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, said the two countries have a high capacity, and the expansion of collaborations will be beneficial to both sides.

For his part, Alexander Shoitov, Deputy Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation, said the memoranda of understanding and the agreements reached today are the result of ongoing efforts over the past few years.

“Today, we are celebrating the results of our hard work over many years with the companies collaborating. We can confidently say, cooperation is definitely going on.

So far, the two countries have signed many memoranda of understanding, but there are still new areas of cooperation opening up in our interactions that benefit the people of the two nations,” Shoitov further noted.

Abedi, for his part, said the reached agreements are the result of three years of continuous cooperation between the ICT ministries of the two countries.

He called on Iranian and Russian companies to seriously follow up on the implementation of the MOUs and agreements, and to remove probable obstacles with the help of the government departments of the two countries. 

The official went on to propose locating a third country as the joint market for Iranian-Russian products on the agenda, expressing hope that the two countries would sign MOUs on a joint market by the sixth forum.

Cooperation with Iran in emerging technologies

In May, Russian Presidential Aide Andrei Fursenko emphasized the significance of promoting partnerships and collaborations with Iran in emerging technologies.

It is a fact that focusing on already established technologies will not be beneficial for the two countries. So, it is essential to put on the agenda the technologies that have not (fully) developed yet, which is a much more difficult task, IRNA quoted Fursenko as saying.

The official made the remarks in a meeting with the head of the Organization for the Development of International Cooperation in Science and Technology, Hossein Roozbeh, and the head of Pardis Technology Park, Mehdi Safarinia, while attending Iran-Russia diplomacy meeting on Friday on the sidelines of the International Innovation and Technology Exhibition (INOTEX 2025), which was held from April 29 to May 2, in Tehran.

“Although working on new technologies is risky, we should not fail to prioritize them, because there is no other way to be the first in the world,” the Russian official added.

For his part, Safarinia said Iran is committed to promoting international scientific cooperation, highlighting that Russia is among the top countries with which Iran is willing to expand ties.

The official went on to say that Russian companies can have offices in Pardis Technology Park. The establishment of Russian universities’ branches in the country was the second point mentioned by Safrinia. “We have already reached agreements with St. Petersburg University and Moscow State University. We are following up on the issue in cooperation with the University of Science and Technology.

This will be the first foreign university to have a branch in Iran. Both Iranian and regional students will be able to study at this university, spending part of their studies in Iran and the rest in Russia,” Safarinia further noted.

The official also announced readiness to further enhance collaborations in research and education, as well as market opportunities, as members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS.

During the Iran-Russia diplomacy meeting, the two countries also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish two joint tech zones.

The MOU was signed between the National Association of Advanced Industries and Knowledge-Based Companies of the Industry and Mining Sector, represented by Mohammad Mehdi Naibi, and the Russian President of the Technological Sovereignty Export Association, Andrey Bezrukov.

The expansion of new technologies and joint research in the fields of nanotechnology, biotechnology, health, ICT, artificial intelligence, as well as the use of renewable energies, oil, and gas, are among the main focuses of the signed MOU.

The MOU highlights production and market development, including co-branding and marketing, market research, product development, and the development of distribution channels.

MT/MG