Today's Top Stories (June 16, 2009) - International reactions to Iran elections â Tuesday 16 June
Iranâs President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived at the Russian city of Yekaterinburg today to attend the ninth annual summit of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
Iran has an observer status in the SCO, which includes Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgystan.
A spokeswoman for Russiaâs President Dmitry Medvedev told reporters that: âthe heads of SCO member states congratulated Ahmadinejad on his reelection.â
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said today that: "We welcome the fact that the elections have taken place, and we welcome the newly re-elected Iranian president on the Russian soil."
Ryabkov added that: "It's quite symbolic that the Iranian president arrived in Russia on his first foreign visit since re-election. We see that as a sign that the Russian-Iranian relations will advance further."
