Russian President Vladimir Putin met Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi in St. Petersburg on Monday to discuss bilateral cooperation and the situation in the Middle East.
Before he arrived in St. Petersburg, Araghchi had said that discussions with the Russian side would include regional developments around the U.S.-Israel war on Iran.
During the meeting, Putin conveyed his wishes to Araghchi for the health and well-being of Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.
Putin also said he has received a message from Khamenei.
"At the beginning of the conversation, I would like to note that last week I received a message from the Supreme Leader of Iran," Putin said.
Putin said Moscow intends to continue developing strategic relations with Iran, is willing to make efforts to help secure peace in the Middle East at an early date, and hopes that the Iranian people will pass through the current period of trials and that peace will come.
"We will do everything that meets your interests and the interests of all the peoples of the region to achieve this peace as quickly as possible," Putin was quoted as saying.
Araghchi thanked Putin for Russia's support for Iran, and conveyed to Putin the best wishes of Khamenei and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
He said that the strategic partnership between Iran and Russia will be strengthened, and that the Iranian people, with their courage, are capable of resisting American aggression.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov, and Igor Kostyukov, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, also attended the meeting.
Representatives on the Iranian side included Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi and Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali.
Putin meets Iranian FM on Mideast tensions
The Chinese Ministry of Finance on Monday commended Moody's decision to affirm China's A1 sovereign credit rating and upgrade its credit outlook to stable.
A ministry official said that this rating has reflected Moody's recognition of the strong resilience demonstrated by China's macroeconomic and fiscal strength amid external shocks, as well as new drivers and progress in the country's high-quality economic development.
Over the past five years, China's cumulative GDP increase has exceeded 35 trillion yuan (about 5.13 trillion U.S. dollars), which is equivalent to recreating the economic output of the Yangtze River Delta region in the country's east, according to the official.
Despite geopolitical and economic risks and challenges, China still achieved an average annual growth rate of 5.4 percent during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), contributing about 30 percent to global economic growth, the official noted.
China's economy exceeded market expectations to achieve a rapid growth rate of 5 percent in the first quarter of 2026, explaining that against the backdrop of a rapidly changing global trade environment and continuously rising geopolitical risks, the Chinese government has implemented a package of macroeconomic regulation policies and strengthened policy coordination, according to the ministry's response.
The Chinese economy has withstood pressure and moved toward innovation-led growth and optimized economic structure while demonstrating the advantages of a supersized market, a complete supply chain system and strong export competitiveness, said the official, noting that these are the cornerstones supporting China's sovereign creditworthiness.
"We will further comprehensively deepen reforms, continue to promote economic structural transformation, steadily enhance fiscal sustainability, accelerate the cultivation and expansion of new quality productive forces, and consolidate the foundation for stable economic operation," the official said.
By leveraging the certainty of its sustained and sound economic and social development, China will contribute more to world economic recovery and prosperity, the official added.
China commends Moody's affirmation of its A1 credit rating, outlook upgrade
