Matytsin led a Russian delegation to Iranian capital Tehrain to put pen to paper on the MoU for bilateral sports cooperation.

"It’s such an honour to be here in Tehran," said Matytsin in a report by the Iranian newspaper Tehran Times.

"I am grateful for all the cooperation that Iran has had with Russia in the field of sports.

"I am sure a bright future is in front of Russia and Iran countries."

The signing of the MoU comes at a time where athletes from Russia remain largely banned from international competition due to the war in Ukraine.

The International Olympic Committee is exploring a pathway for Russian competitors to return as neutrals with the Olympic Council of Asia offering a route to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Matytsin claimed that Russian sports were suffering "cruel sanctions" and praised Iran for helping to "neutralise the effect of these pressures".

"Russia hopes for the participation of Iranian athletes in the Games of Future, which will be held in Kazan in March 2024," added Matytsin.

"Special attention is paid to Paralympic sports in Russia and we are ready to cooperate with Iran in this field as well.

"We also want to cooperate with Iran in the infrastructure development and ask Russian companies to collaborate with Iran in this regard."

Iran's men's national team are due to meet Russia in a friendly, with the match scheduled to be held in Tehran either on March 22 or 23.

Other matches featuring teams from the two nations are also planned, with Zenit Saint Petersburg's women’s team set to face Sepahan tomorrow before meeting Team Melli Banovan.

Iran and Russia have formed a strong bond over the years as they are military allies in the conflicts in Syria and Iraq.

Last November, Iran was approved as the latest member of Shanghai Cooperation Organization - an intergovernmental political, economic and security forum including Russia.