NOURNEWS - Iranian President Seyed Ebrahim Raisi in a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin underscored the two countries’ common position on confronting unilateralism, and voiced Iran’s readiness to sign an agreement for long-term comprehensive cooperation with Russia.
"We are ready to finalize the comprehensive document of long-term cooperation between the two countries so that the process of further enhancing relations and cooperation between Iran and Russia can be implemented quickly," Raisi said on Tuesday, stressing Iran’s willingness to further develop trade and economic relations with Russia.
He also pointed to the common positions of the two countries on bilateral, regional and international issues, saying, "Countering unilateralism and consolidating multilateralism are among the similarities of the two countries."
The Iranian President stressed the need for joint cooperation between the two countries on regional issues, adding, "Continued presence of foreigners in Syria is against the will of the Syrian people and government because it threatens the stability and security of the country."
Raisi also pointed to the developments in Afghanistan, saying that the presence of the ISIL terrorist group in the country is dangerous to the region.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran believes in the establishment of an inclusive government with the presence of all ethnic and political groups," he noted, adding that the formation of such a government can guarantee the security of the country.
He lauded Russia's stance in supporting Iran's nuclear rights and the need to lift all sanctions imposed on the Iranians, and said his administration is quite serious in nuclear talks for lifting all sanctions against the Iranian people.
The President also welcomed Russia's initiative for stability and peace in the Caucasus region.
"Any change in geopolitics and borders of the regional countries is not acceptable," the two sides stressed.
Raisi further hailed the assistance of the President and the Russian government in Iran's membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
Putin, for his part, said that Moscow supports Tehran's proposals in drafting a new document on long-term cooperation between the two countries, adding, "We are determined to finalize and implement it as soon as possible."
Moscow attaches great importance to improving the level of economic relations and finalizing joint investment programs with Iran, he stressed.
Putin also pointed to the cooperation of the two countries in regional issues, especially Syria, saying that the two countries should continue their close cooperation in various regional areas.
He voiced support for the rights of the Iranian people in the nuclear issue and expressed the hope that in future negotiations, the parties would have sufficient political will to resolve the issues in talks.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said last week that the US needs to revise its policy of draconian sanctions against the Islamic Republic so as to help revive the 2015 nuclear agreement, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), three years after the US ditched the historic accord and tried to kill it.
“The utmost must be done so that the negotiations ensure the restoration of what’s known as the ‘factory settings’ of the JCPOA,” Ryabkov said on Thursday.
“Political will is now required. From the US side, it is important to prove and demonstrate in practice that the sanctions policy, which has been carried out over the recent years, is being reviewed and the Iranian side is given the opportunity to reap those economic advantages that are included in the package of agreements that lies at the heart of the JCPOA,” the Russian diplomat said.
The JCPOA was inked by Iran and six world powers in 2015, under which Tehran agreed to put limits on certain aspects of its nuclear activities in exchange for the removal of international sanctions imposed against the country.
In 2018, however, the US exited the nuclear pact and began to unilaterally implement what it called the maximum pressure campaign against the Islamic Republic, effectively depriving Iran of the deal’s benefits by forcing third parties to stop trade with Iran.
Iran remained patient for an entire year, after which it began to take incremental steps away from its nuclear obligations due to the other parties’ proven failure to secure its contractual interests.
Iran has repeatedly reassured the other JCPOA signatories that it will resume full compliance with its nuclear obligations under the deal after the US, as the instigator of the current crisis, removes all of its sanctions and gives Iran a guarantee that it will not leave the deal again.
NOURNEWS