Head of Russian telecoms regulator agency Roskomnadzor is in Iran to discuss issues related to the internet, according to a statement by the Iranian telecoms ministry.
Andrei Lipov met with Iranian telecoms minister Issa Zarepour on Sunday to discuss issues like protection of children on the internet, a field where Iran has experiences to share with Russia, said the statement which was covered in a report by the semi-official ILNA news agency.
Lipov and Zarepour also discussed avenues for increased cooperation between Iran and Russia on various communication issues, including coordinating the two countries’ stances in the International Telecommunication Union, said the report.
The report said the two sides had also discussed cooperation between Iran and Russia on frequency spectrums, a field where the two countries can share capacities to boost the quality and speed of internet services.
Roskomnadzor is a Russian abbreviation for Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media.
The agency has repeatedly called on Western-based internet companies offering services in Russia to control content Moscow deems illegal or face restrictions.
Iranian and Russian telecoms authorities accuse Western governments of using internet platforms to sow discord in their countries.
That has led to restrictions on access to certain social media platforms in Iran and Russia.
However, the two countries have rarely shared their experiences on internet controls.
The Iranian telecoms ministry said Roskomnadzor’s Lipov will also meet his Iranian counterpart Amir Lajevardi on Monday to discuss opportunities for increased presence of Iranian telecoms companies in the Russian market.
