Long-term accord extends economic cooperation

Iran and the USSR signed agreements linking Soviet assistance for industrial construction with Iranian natural-gas supplies, including the Isfahan steel project.

Iran and the USSR concluded a cultural-relations agreement, extending formal cooperation beyond trade and industrial construction.

Soviet premier Alexei Kosygin arrived in Tehran and was welcomed by Prime Minister Amir-Abbas Hoveyda, illustrating the expansion of high-level contacts.

Iran and the USSR signed a protocol defining their frontier through new Aras reservoirs, with equal-area territorial exchanges and equal rights to reservoir water.

Iran and the USSR signed a long-term commodity-turnover agreement, reinforcing the commercial side of their rapprochement.

The first stage of the Soviet-assisted Isfahan steelworks was officially inaugurated in Kosygin’s presence, giving Iran a major symbol of industrial development.

Iran and the USSR signed an agreement on cooperation to prevent the hijacking of civilian aircraft, adding a security instrument to their bilateral relationship.

Soviet pilot Valentin Zosimov flew an An-2 aircraft into Iran, prompting Moscow to demand the return of the pilot and plane and confronting Tehran with an asylum dispute.

Brezhnev wrote to Carter opposing outside interference in Iran and warning that military intervention in the neighbouring country would affect Soviet security interests.

A statement published in Pravda warned that foreign interference, especially military intervention in Iran, would affect Soviet security interests.