Tehran, March 27 (RHC-Xinhua), -- Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said Monday that Iran is ready to further broaden cooperation with Russia as the boost of bilateral ties is in the interest of the region, semi-official Fars news agency reported.

"I think the expansion of Iran-Russia relations is beneficial to the two nations" as well as the Middle East region, Rouhani told reporters before leaving Tehran for Moscow on Monday.

He said that the two countries' relations have entered a new phase in recent years, and "these relations are not against the interests of any third country."

Russia, as an important regional country and neighbor of Iran, has played an important role in Iran's foreign diplomacy, he added.