Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif. © Anton Novoserezhkin/TASS

The foreign ministers of Russia and Iran Sergey Lavrov and Javad Zarif held negotiations in Moscow on Monday. Slightly more a month has passed since their last meeting in Vienna, where P5+1 group (five permanent members of UN Security Council and Germany) and Tehran signed a Joint Action Plan on the Iranian nuclear program. Today’s consultations confirm that the Vienna agreement will facilitate expansion of cooperation between Russia and Iran in all spheres.

“The Vienna agreements will have a positive effect on cooperation between our countries in all spheres, in particular in economy and defense,” Zarif said. “Our cooperation should expand to include all issues on regional and international agenda,” he added saying he is condifent that Russia “will play a decisive role in the implementation of Joint Action Plan.”

“The plan allows not only to appropriately solve the situation around Iranian nuclear program with full respect for Iran’s right for a peaceful nuclear program, but also gives a possibility to strengthen trust in the region, ensure elimination of barriers for normal economic and political cooperation on a regional level with Iran’s full-fledged participation,” Lavrov said.

“Russia and Iran will cooperate in the production of stable isotopes in accordance with the Vienna agreements on Fordow,” Zarif said. “As for cooperation to exchange enriched uranium for natural uranium, the agreement envisages that as well. It is backed by the UN Security Council resolution. I hope that peaceful nuclear cooperation between Iran and Russia will receive a fresh impetus after the Vienna agreements. This includes projects on the construction of new units at Bushehr and on nuclear fuel,” the Iranian foreign minister stressed.

Lavrov described cooperation between Moscow and Tehran as comprehensive as it “encompasses all key spheres of cooperation between the countries.” “I will particularly stress [cooperation in] economy, especially hi-tech sphere. It is also nuclear energy which bases upon the successful completion of Bushehr-1 project and on intergovernmental protocol and contract on construction of eight Russian-designed power units designed in Iran signed last year,” he added. “This is a very promising and large-scale direction [of cooperation] which will strengthen Iran’s energy sphere and at the same time ensure full compliance of non-proliferation regime while respecting Iran’s right for a peaceful nuclear program,” Lavrov said.

The foreign minister also noted cooperation between the two countries in military-technical sphere. “In January this year, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu visited Tehran where an agreement on military cooperation was signed, including in the context of the Caspian topic. This is an important task to prevent threats and risks which exist in the region and can exacerbate,” he stressed.

Russian foreign minister also confirmed his readiness to pay a visit to Tehran after the date is agreed by both sides.