Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Iranian Ebrahim Raeisi in a phone conversation on Tuesday that he supports Tehran’s proposal to map out a new long-term cooperation deal.
“We’re determined to finalize and execute [the deal] as fast as possible,” Putin was quoted as saying by President.ir.
The Russian president expressed hope for greater bilateral, regional and international cooperation between the two nations.
“Moscow greatly values strengthening economic ties and finalizing joint investment plans with Iran,” he added.
He pointed to Iran and Russia’s collaborations to resolve regional issues, including the case of Syria, noting that “we managed to maintain Syria’s independence and destroy the terrorists’ hub through joint efforts.”
Putin also voiced concern about recent developments in the Nagorno-Karabakh region and spoke of Moscow’s proposal to launch a 3+3 regional mechanism to solve problems in the area.
According to Russia, the agreement would be between Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia as well as three neighboring nations, Russia, Turkey and Iran.
Noting the upcoming Vienna talks on the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Putin said he hopes parties to the agreement will find a way to put an end to the current political deadlock.
Talks to revive the JCPOA stopped before Iran’s presidential election in June and are scheduled to resume on November 29.
Nuclear Negotiations
Raeisi during the conversation said Tehran is “absolutely serious” about nuclear talks and thanked Moscow for its stance against sanctions imposed on Iran.
“We are serious about securing the rights of our people by removing sanctions,” Raeisi said.
The president wished for a boost in bilateral ties in the near future and said Iran is also prepared to finalize the long-term cooperation deal.
The top official lauded Moscow’s efforts in South Caucasus and both presidents declared they would not tolerate any shifts in the geopolitics of the region.
Underscoring the necessity for bilateral cooperation to solve regional problems, Raeisi said, “The continued presence of foreigners in Syria is against the will of Syrian people and its government.”
“This threatens stability and security in the area,” he added.
On recent developments in Afghanistan, the president said he finds the self-styled Islamic State terrorist group’s presence in the neighboring country “dangerous”.
“We need to be alert over the dangers of this conspiracy,” he said, reiterating once more that Iran supports the establishment of an all-inclusive government in Kabul.
