FM holds separate talks with Turkish, Russian counterparts on sidelines of Moscow meeting
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, have met and conferred on the sidelines of a four-party meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Turkey, Syria, Russia and Iran in Moscow.
The two diplomats held a closed-door meeting in the Russian capital on Wednesday and discussed "issues of mutual interest,” with reports saying the expansion of bilateral ties in the fields of trade, transit and tourism was on top of the agenda.
Amir-Abdollahian attached great importance to the quadrilateral meeting of the four countries’ foreign ministers with regard to the situation in Syria, saying the talks were “positive and a step forward,” adding, “We will continue our efforts to make these talks a success.”
The FM also hailed cooperation between Tehran and Ankara in economic fields, including transportation, trade and tourism “as good, developing and progressing.”
Cavusoglu, for his part, pointed to the important role of the Islamic Republic of Iran in organizing the four-party meeting and thanked the “positive and constructive” positions of Tehran in this regard.
The Turkish Foreign Minister also appreciated Iran’s assistance and delivery of relief aid to the victims of the recent earthquake in the country.
At the meeting, the two diplomats exchanged views on efforts to normalize relations between Ankara and Damascus and discussed the fight against terrorism, political processes, and humanitarian matters, including the voluntary, safe, and dignified return of Syrian refugees to their homeland.
Earlier in the day, Amir-Abdollahian said at the quadrilateral meeting, aimed at reconciliation between Damascus and Ankara, that any political solution to issues related to Syria must take into consideration Syria’s full sovereignty over its territory, adding that Turkey can play a key role in this regard.
FMs of Iran, Russia meet in Moscow
Also on Wednesday, Amir-Abdollahian and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov met and discussed ways of expanding relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation in all fields, especially in the economic and commercial fields.
The two top diplomats described as “positive” the growing trend of relations between Tehran and Moscow.
Amir-Abdollahian noted that efforts should be made to promote the progressing relations between the two countries, which he said were on the right track.
Expressing his satisfaction with the close cooperation between the two countries in the political settlement of the Syrian issue, the FM said the four-party meeting in Moscow was a “positive outcome” of this collaboration.
The Russian FM said holding a joint commission on economic cooperation in Tehran in the near future will be important in deepening the relations between the two countries, calling for the active presence of Iran’s commercial and economic sectors in the upcoming Russia-Islamic world international economic forum to be held in the city of Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan.
The two Foreign Ministers also stressed the development of the North-South transit corridor, financial and banking cooperation as well as the expansion of economic and commercial relations.
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