Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar is scheduled to pay a visit to Moscow later this week to meet Russian officials, including Director of the Russian Federal Drug Control Service Viktor Ivanov, Fars News Agency reported.

The Minister's visit to Russia will take place on invitation of his Russian counterpart Rashid Nurgaliyev.

During the three-day visit, Najjar will also meet Viktor Ivanov and other Russian top political figures.

In June 2011, Mr. Najjar stressed Tehran and Moscow's significant role in fighting illicit drugs in the region, and stated that the two sides plan to expand mutual cooperation in the campaign against narcotics.

Tehran and Moscow agreed to establish a joint intelligence team to exchange information and plan joint operations, the Iranian minister said at the time.

In December 2010, Iran and Russia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation to combat drug-trafficking.