The governments of Russia and Iran have agreed to cooperate in a number of digital areas, including the development of blockchain technologies and artificial intelligence (AI).
Reports of the new initiative by the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic come after Putin himself also presented a similar proposal to India. They also follow his recent call for AI and technological sovereignty.
Moscow and Tehran join forces in AI race, fintech space
Russia and Iran will cooperate in the IT sector, in a wide range of areas of digital development, Russian and Iranian media revealed.
A new memorandum of understanding between them will facilitate joint efforts in building artificial intelligence (AI) systems and smart infrastructure for the two states.
The document places particular emphasis on bilateral partnership in promoting cybersecurity and creating regulatory frameworks, as well as strengthening ties between Russian and Iranian companies.
The agreement was signed by Meysam Abedi, Iran’s Deputy Minister of Communications and Information Technology, and Alexander Shoitov, Russia’s Deputy Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media.
The officials sealed the deal in Moscow at the end of the latest meeting of their country’s Joint Working Group on Communications and Information Technology, Iran’s IRNA news agency reported on Friday.
The two governments also plan to collaborate in the field of digital finance, specifically blockchain technology and fintech solutions. This will also include the activities of regulatory bodies and technology parks, Russian media noted.
Speaking to reporters in the Russian capital, the Iranian representative stressed that the document underlines the two countries’ determination to expand cooperation in areas such as data transfer, e-government and exchange of technical expertise.
Russia sets crypto regulation and artificial intelligence as priorities for 2026
The signing of the memorandum between Russia and Iran comes after President Vladimir Putin indicated that Moscow is willing to also cooperate with New Delhi in the field of AI development.
At a bilateral business forum, the Russian head of state, who visited India this week, stressed the importance of going beyond trade in their relations.
“We must go further and improve industrial cooperation. Together we will create new modern products and strengthen technological alliances, especially in advanced and knowledge-intensive industries such as digitalization, autonomous robotics and pharmaceuticals,” Putin explained.
Quoted by Tass on Friday, he also stated:
“We are ready for a broad partnership with India in the field of artificial intelligence, where our countries have their own cutting-edge developments.”
Putin explicitly noted that Russia will not miss the India AI Summit scheduled for February 2026, assuring that it will “send a representative delegation to this event.”
In November, the Russian president urged his country to rally behind domestic AI to ensure its technological independence, as reported by Cryptopolitan.
On the financial sovereignty front, Russia plans to launch its digital ruble for public use next year and seriously focus on regulating cryptocurrency transactions in its jurisdiction, with clear indications that it is aiming for looser rules.
Authorities in Iran, who have much more experience than Russia and India in being on the receiving end of Western sanctions, have also changed their attitude towards cryptocurrencies.
At the country’s first major international blockchain conference last month, officials indicated they now want their country to become a crypto hub, vowing to take a “strategic” approach to regulation in the space.
Tehran also proposed creating a common cryptocurrency for countries in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), of which it is a member, along with Russia and India.