Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in Moscow on Friday to engage in discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and to finalize a strategic partnership treaty between the two nations, as reported by Russia’s TASS state news agency.

This marks Pezeshkian’s inaugural visit to the Kremlin since he assumed the presidency last July, following the tragic death of his predecessor in a helicopter accident. During his meeting with Putin, the agenda will center on enhancing bilateral relations and addressing international matters prior to the treaty’s signing.

In the wake of the Ukraine conflict, Russia has strengthened its relationships with Iran and other nations perceived as adversarial to the U.S., including North Korea. It has established strategic agreements with Pyongyang, its close ally Belarus, and has a partnership with China.

The 20-year agreement between Russia and Iran, which encompasses provisions for enhanced defense collaboration, is likely to raise concerns in the West, which views both nations as negative forces on the global stage.

Both Moscow and Tehran assert that their deepening relationship is not aimed at opposing other countries. Russia has extensively utilized Iranian drones in the Ukraine conflict, and the U.S. accused Tehran in September of supplying short-range ballistic missiles to Russia for deployment against Ukraine, a claim that Tehran refutes. While the Kremlin has not confirmed the receipt of Iranian missiles, it has acknowledged that its collaboration with Iran spans “the most sensitive areas.”