Russia-Iran-Syria-Turkey meeting to be held next week

Amir-Abollahian

TEHRAN, (MNA) – Russia-Iran-Syria-Turkey quadrilateral meeting to be held next week at the level of deputy foreign ministers of these countries, the Iranian Foreign Minister announced on Wednesday.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov attended a joint news conference after holding a meeting in Moscow on Wednesday afternoon.

Speaking about the Russia-Iran-Syria-Turkey quadrilateral meeting, the top Iranian diplomat stated that the main goal of the meeting would be to bring the views of Turkey and Syria closer together.

"Iran and Russia will also try to bring these views closer. If a framework is determined in these talks, the next round of the meeting can be held at the level of foreign ministers," he stressed.

Saying that the current Iranian government has established advanced relations with China, Amir-Abdollahian stated that Iran supports the idea of ​​the Chinese president regarding world peace and security, as well as his idea regarding the Ukraine crisis.

Tehran welcomes any initiative that leads to sustainable peace and security in the region and across the globe, he added.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Amir-Abdollahian touched upon the baseless accusations raised by the US claiming the launch of an attack in the East of the Euphrates by Iran-affiliated groups. Rejecting the allegations, he stressed, "Americans made hasty judgments and rash behavior before providing documents to prove their claim. We are not looking for conflict and tension. Iran has always played a constructive role and our response to the US side was clear and decisive."

Turning to the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Amir-Abdollahian said, "We do not believe the continuation of tension in this region to be in the interest of any of the sides of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia. We consider security in this region to benefit peace, stability, and security in the region."

"We consider foreign interventions and efforts for geopolitical changes in the region to be a factor in making the situation in the region more complicated. We believe that issues in this region should be resolved through the 3+3 mechanism and other existing mechanisms and away from the methods of resorting to force," he said, adding that Iran does not accept any change in the geopolitics of the region with any justification.

The top Iranian diplomat also touched upon Tehran-Moscow relations, saying that today, Iran and Russia can clearly speak of favorable progress in all-round cooperation focusing on economic and commercial issues between the two countries. Both sides are satisfied with the progress of cooperation in various fields, he underlined.

Amir-Abdollahian also expressed hope that he could host his Russian counterpart in the near future in Tehran.

Russian foreign minister, for his part, spoke about several regional and international issues.

Speaking of Iran-Russia relations, Lavrov stressed that the two countries have paid special attention to the advanced development of business relationships, adding, "We are trying to conclude a new treaty between the two countries to replace the previous one."

Stating that Russia welcomes the restoration of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Lavrov said that he has discussed the scenarios for solving the crisis in Syria, Palestine, Afghanistan, and the Caucasus countries with Amir-Abdollahian.

Stating that NATO is fighting Moscow alongside Ukraine, Lavrov added that they had also discussed the Western intervention in the Ukraine war and their support for the Kyiv regime.

We have to solve the Ukrainian issue through political means, and therefore we support China's initiative, he noted.

Turning to the negotiations on lifting anti-Iran sanctions and reviving the JCPOA deal, he cited, "Russia and Iran agree that there is no alternative to JCPOA. We demand the resumption of the UN resolution on the Iran nuclear deal, and the world is waiting for the US to return to its commitments."

He also voiced the dissatisfaction of Russia and Iran with the approach of the West in dealing with the countries of the world.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the top Russian diplomat said that his country demands the immediate completion of Iran's membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, adding, "We have strong relations with China, they are on the right track, and we support China's initiative in the field of global security."