After talks with Ayatollah Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani in Tehran Putin said that Russian Federation and Iran were determined to enhance cooperation within the framework of the global group for Syria and in the struggle against terrorism. It is understood that Iran will not relinquish its support for its allied dictator. The comments were a direct rebuff of repeated demands from the United States, France, Britain and Saudi Arabia that President Bashar al-Assad step down and play no future role in war-torn Syria.
Advertisement
Reports have varied with regard to whether Russian Federation could be convinced to negotiate in good faith.
Putin, on his first visit to Iran since 2007, presented an old edition of the Koran, the Muslim holy book, to Khamenei, the Iranian leader’s website said, publishing photos of the book. Russian Federation is also emerging as a long-term arms partner for Iran, despite the countries having a complicated history over territory, oil, commerce and communism.
Khemenei – who held a two-hour meeting with Russia’s President Vladimir here – welcomed further expansion of “bilateral, regional and international” cooperation between Tehran and Moscow.
President Putin noted that the first unit of Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant has already achieved full capacity, and, soon, intend to start construction of the next two units. Iran’s ambassador to Moscow, Mehdi Sanei, said the missile defense deal was canceled “under pressure from the West” but that circumstances had since changed.
The leaders of Russian Federation and Iran underscored their growing alliance in the Middle East by declaring their opposition to external attempts to impose a solution to the civil war in Syria, where both have deployed military power. The move is linked to Russia’s plan to import enriched uranium from Iran, according to Russian state-owned media site RT.
The landmark GECF summit was attended by heads of state from nine member countries, including presidents of Iran, Russia, Venezuela, Iraq, Bolivia, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, Turkmenistan as well as the Algerian prime minister.
While this news is sure to give rise to some alarm among opponents of the Iranian regime, it is also notable that it comes after several previous such claims, paired with several previous delays.
Taking advantage of the Russian airstrikes, the Iranians and Hezbollah have spearheaded the ongoing Syrian offensive meant to win back some ground after a string of losses earlier this year. Russia, on the other hand, is mostly interested in retaining strong state institutions and in preserving the presence of its navy in the Mediterranean.
Advertisement
He also said the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) would look at possible establishment of a free trade zone with Iran in practical terms.
