Tehran, Nov 10 (IANS): Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani held a meeting in Tehran with Nikolai Patrushev, Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, during which the two sides discussed the ongoing Ukraine crisis and ways to strengthen the bilateral ties.

Shamkhani on Wednesday noted that Iran welcomes and supports any initiative that leads to a ceasefire and peace talks between Russia and Ukraine and is ready to play a role in ending the conflicts, according to a state media outlet.

He also called for strengthened cooperation between Iran and Russia in the areas of energy, transportation, agriculture, trade, finance, and the environment, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Iranian official also stressed the need to continue and increase regional and international cooperation to eradicate terrorism, adding that terrorism and extremism continue to threaten the security of the region and the world.

Patrushev, for his part, lauded the pace of cooperation between the two countries in various fields, stating that Presidents of the two countries have stressed the will of the two sides to improve relations in their bilateral talks this year, the state media outlet reported.