Iran’s Acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri, who is in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod to participate in the meeting of BRICS foreign ministers, held talks with Igor Levitin, special aide to the  president of the Russian Federation.   At the beginning of the meeting, Bagheri appreciated the messages and phone calls and the presence of Russia’s foreign minister and other Russian officials at the Iranian Embassy to express sympathy and extend condolences over the martyrdom of late president Ebrahim Raisi and foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian.   Referring to the late president’s special care about the expansion of strategic relations between Iran and Russia in various fields, Bagheri stressed the government of the Islamic Republic Iran’s firm resolve to continue and strengthen this policy.   He added that Iran will do all it takes to implement strategic plans between the two countries that are in line with the best interests of both sides.   While underlining the need to speed up the implementation of the Rasht-Astara railway project, Bagheri said it’s important to take advantage of the capacities of the eastern part of the North-South corridor.   He noted that the progress and completion of the corridors is based on the national will of Iran and Russia and this approach will continue in the future.   The special aide of the Russian president for his part once again offered condolences over the martyrdom of the late president and foreign Minister of Iran, saying Russia’s high-ranking officials will realize and implement the agreements of the presidents of the two countries.   Levitin pointed to his upcoming trip to Iran in order to pursue the realization and completion of bilateral strategic plans including the North-South corridor. He said Russia is trying to connect the North-South corridor with other ones and to increase the areas in which Tehran and Moscow can engage in transit cooperation.