Russia praises Iran interest in Ukraine war peace settlement: Lavrov
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov underlines that his country praises Iran's standpoint regarding China's peace plan for the Ukraine war.
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, right, and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian shake hands after a joint news conference following their talks in Moscow, Russia, March 29, 2023 (Pool photo via AP)
Russia welcomed Iran's balanced position on the Ukrainian war, as well as the country's interest in a peaceful resolution of the crisis, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry in late February expressed its support for China's 12-point document titled "China's Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis", which emphasized Beijing’s respect for the sovereignty of all countries, calling for the cessation of hostilities and resuming negotiations between Moscow and Kiev.
Lavrov met earlier in the day with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in the Russian capital, Moscow. The ministers discussed the bilateral cooperation between both parties, as well as the Ukraine war, among other things.
"We respect Iran's interest, which has just been confirmed in my colleague's statement, in a peaceful resolution of this situation [in Ukraine]," Lavrov said after his meeting his Iranian counterpart.
Furthermore, the nations' top diplomats highlighted the "subversive line" of NATO countries in the Ukraine war, stressing that Moscow appreciated Tehran's balanced position and understanding of the "true motives" of the Ukrainian status quo.
JCPOA - no alternatives
Lavrov underlined that his country agreed that there were no alternatives to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), colloquially known as the Iran nuclear deal, and that the accord needs to be implemented as soon as possible.
"We talked about the situation around the JCPOA on the Iranian nuclear program. We have a common understanding that there is no alternative to this international agreement, which was written down in the unanimously adopted UN Security Council Resolution 2231," Lavrov said.
"We are in favor of the early resumption of the full implementation of this resolution and oppose actions that prevent this," the Russian top diplomat said.
He also noted the need for the US to lift its sanctions on Iran and return to its obligations under the JCPOA.
Amir-Abdollahian said earlier in the day upon his arrival in Moscow told reporters that he would tackle the nuclear deal among other regional and international issues with Lavrov.
"The window of dialogue is still open and one of the topics of the conversation with Mr. Lavrov is the JCPOA and the return of parties to their commitments," he stated.
Elsewhere in his remarks, he recalled that "Russia has played an important role in the new round of the Vienna talks between Iran and the 4+1 group of countries, which lasted for months."
Raisi, Putin to meet soon
Russia's top diplomat also revealed that there were planned contacts between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.
"Last year the presidents met in person four times. This year they have already spoken on the phone three times. And more additional contacts are planned," Lavrov said in the wake of his meeting with Amir-Abdollahian.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call in January to discuss several important projects that are intended to strengthen bilateral relations and simultaneously benefit both countries' national interests, the Kremlin said.
"Russian President Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ebrahim Raisi. Topical issues of the Russian-Iranian agenda were discussed with an emphasis on further strengthening of the entire range of bilateral cooperation," the statement said.
Both heads of state emphasized the necessity of implementing mutually beneficial projects in the energy and transport sector.
