Speaking to journalists after his talks in the Kremlin with Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi, President Vladimir Putin said on 17 May that Iran is \"our steady partner of long standing\" and that relations between the two countries are developing in all directions. Putin also noted that trade between the two countries has grown since 2002 by 70 percent and reached $1.37 billion in 2003. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking at a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart, said that they discussed the situation in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Middle East, and the Caspian region. Lavrov also announced that Putin has accepted an invitation to visit Tehran, and that Putin will visit Tehran later this year both for bilateral talks and to attend a summit of the Caspian states. (RFE/RL)