MOSCOW, January 22 (RIA Novosti) - Russian and Iranian police chiefs have signed an agreement to cooperate in combating crime, the Russian Interior Ministry said on Tuesday.

The agreement was signed during Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev’s working visit to Iran.

“This is the first agreement that specifies the forms and methods of cooperation in combating crime,” the ministry said in a release posted on its website.

“The law enforcement agencies of the two countries cooperate in different areas - fighting drug trafficking, human trafficking and the fight against terrorism, including threats and challenges,” the statement said.

The West, led by the United States, suspects that Iran is pursuing a secret nuclear weapons program, but the Islamic Republic says it needs nuclear power solely to generate electricity.