Economic Security of the Russian Federation in the Light of Russo-Iranian Cooperation in the Face of Sanctions. Selected Aspects

The paper sheds new light on the Russian Federation’s economic security problem in the face of sanctions and changing geopolitical balance in Central Asia. The novelty of the research perspective and, subsequently, the results and conclusions are expressed by combining an economic perspective with a cultural-political and media-centered approach. There were analysed the range of Russo-Iranian economic cooperation, the factors that make Iran a prospective partner for Russia and the role of the Russian media in shaping the picture of friendly future in bilateral relations. The conclusions are that the Russian “turn to the South” – towards Iran – was provoked not only by the sanctions imposed which decreased the economic security level but it also resulted from the previously established patterns of the Russian foreign policy.