Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's opening remarks during talks with Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mohammad Javad Zarif, Moscow, January 26, 2021

26 January 202114:19
115-26-01-2021

Mr Minister,

Dear Javad,

Colleagues, friends,

I am delighted to welcome you to Moscow once again. We highly value the constructive and permanent nature of our dialogue, which helps us discuss any matters of bilateral relations and the international agenda in an effective trust-based manner.

The presidents of Russia and Iran communicate regularly. Today, we have a good opportunity to assess the fulfilment of agreements that were reached at the highest level, primarily in the context of bilateral relations.

We have a packed regional and international agenda. The task of saving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) ranks among the most topical subjects. Russia and Iran are sincerely interested in seeing all JCPOA signatories resume the fulfilment of their obligations.

Considering the regional role of our countries, we are interested in deepening dialogue on such matters as security in the Persian Gulf and the Afghan peace settlement. We will discuss the situation in Nagorno Karabakh following the agreements reached by the presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan and the Prime Minister of Armenia on November 9, 2020 and January 11, 2021.

The continued exchange of opinions with our Iranian friends as regards the Syrian peace settlement, Yemen and other conflicts in the Middle East is of great interest in the context of keeping alive the decision on the Palestinian peace settlement.

The task of fighting terrorism, drug trafficking and other forms of organised crime is a traditionally important aspect of our bilateral dialogue, as well as in the context of cooperation at international organisations. The agenda is quite packed. I am convinced that today's talks will prove useful and result-oriented.