Russian, Iranian top security officials discuss Middle East and Central Asia -TASS

Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev held a meeting with Iran's top security official, Ali Akbar Ahmadian, in Kyrgyz capital Bishkek on Thursday, Russian state-run TASS news agency reported.

The sides discussed the security issues in the Middle East and Central Asia, as well as "prospects for Russian-Iranian cooperation in countering challenges and threats to the security of both states".

The Kremlin in November said Russia, waging a war against neighbouring Ukraine for almost two years, and Iran were developing their relations, "including in the field of military-technical cooperation".