Iran’s Raeisi, Russia’s Putin express readiness to contribute to establishment of peace, security in Afghanistan

Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, have expressed readiness to contribute to the establishment of peace and security in war-torn Afghanistan.

The two presidents discussed the situation in Afghanistan, along with a range of other issues, during a telephone conversation on Wednesday.

“The establishment of security, peace and tranquility in Afghanistan has always been emphasized by the Islamic Republic [of Iran], and we believe that all active Afghan groups should work together to establish stability in the country as soon as possible and make the US withdrawal a turning point for lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan,” Raeisi told Putin.  

He said that the strengthening of relations with Russia was a central plank of Iran’s foreign policy.

“We seek to remove obstacles in relations and open new windows for cooperation, and are determined to increase the volume of bilateral trade with Russia,” he noted.

Emphasizing that Iran is determined to promote friendly and comprehensive relations between the two countries in a way that will set a successful model for neighborly relations, Raeisi said, "We have a serious will to finalize the comprehensive document of Iran-Russia cooperation as soon as possible."

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He also thanked Russia for its initiative to launch the process of Iran's membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and described it as a step towards strengthening very close relations between the two countries.

On Iran’s nuclear program, the president said the Islamic Republic, as a party to international treaties, including the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), is serious about restoring the rights of its people to pursue peaceful nuclear activities and to enjoy the benefits and achievements of the technology in all peaceful areas.

Raeisi lashed out at the US for seeking to use political and media hype to stand as a plaintiff instead of a criminal, and blaming Iran for Washington’s own violations of its obligations and its oppressive and illegal actions.

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Regarding the situation in Afghanistan, he expressed Iran’s readiness for any cooperation for the establishment of peace in the war-ravaged country, and said, "The successful experience of Iran-Russia cooperation in the fight against Takfiri terrorism in Syria has opened new windows for the two sides to increase Tehran-Moscow interaction."

For his part, Putin said that his country attaches great significance to the promotion of ties with Iran, citing remarks by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei that a high level of mutual trust and a high economic capacity in the two countries can lead to tangible results in bilateral areas.

He also welcomed signing of a comprehensive bilateral cooperation agreement between the two countries.

On Vienna talks aimed at the revival of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, Putin said the agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, “cannot be held hostage to problems not related to the nuclear deal.”    

During the conversation, “prospects for resuming the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on the Iranian nuclear program were [also] discussed," according to a Kremlin statement.

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Besides, the statement said, the two presidents discussed preparations for the upcoming SCO summit "taking into account Iran’s application filed for full membership in this organization."

“.. Much attention was paid to the events taking place in Afghanistan, [and] readiness to contribute to the establishment of peace and stability in this country was expressed," the Kremlin statement added.

In addition, Putin and Raiesi also talked about Moscow-Tehran cooperation in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

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