Iran called for strengthening long-term cooperation with Russia during the presidential summit with Turkey in Tehran, while Ankara asked for Russian and Iranian support for its expected military operation in northern Syria.
In a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ali Khamenei, appreciated the “long-term cooperation” between Iran and Russia and called for its strengthening between the two countries, which are under sanctions from Western countries.
“Long-term cooperation between Iran and Russia is beneficial for both countries,” Khamenei said in a statement published on his website.
He pointed out that there are many understandings and contracts between the two countries, including in the field of oil and gas, which must be fully followed up and implemented.
The presidential summit in Iran with the presence of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Putin will be held in the first tripartite meeting at the level of presidents since 2019 in the framework of the “Astana Peace Process” with their Turkish counterparts. Ending the Syrian conflict that started in 2011.
Putin’s visit to Tehran comes a few days after US President Joe Biden’s visit to the region, where he stressed that his country will not leave a vacuum in the Middle East to be filled by its opponents, Russia, China and Iran.
The presidential meeting in the Iranian capital revolves around the Syrian case, while Turkey will soon launch an attack.
Erdoğan stated that his country relies on the support of Russia and Iran “to fight terrorism” in Syria and said: “Dialogue is not enough.”
“What we expect from Russia and Iran is their support in fighting terrorism,” he said after listing the main Kurdish groups in northeastern Syria on the border with Turkey, which threatened to launch a military operation two months ago.
Khamenei, who has the final say in the country’s top policies, told Erdogan that Ankara’s possible operation in northern Syria would harm various countries in the region.
“It hurts Syria, it hurts Turkey and it hurts the region,” Khamenei said in a statement posted on his website.
Russia, Iran and Turkey have all played a central role in the Syrian conflict since its inception. Moscow and Tehran’s support for President Bashar al-Assad led to a change in the equation in the field in favor of his forces, while Turkey supported the opposition factions.
On the other hand, Putin spoke about the progress in the negotiations on the export of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea and thanked Erdogan during his visit to Tehran.
“I want to thank you for your mediation efforts, to offer Turkey as a negotiating ground for the problems of food production and the problems of grain exports through the Black Sea,” Putin said to Erdogan in remarks cited by the Kremlin. Statement.
He added: We made progress with your mediation, not all issues have been resolved yet, it is true, but there is movement and that is good.
On Friday, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that a “final document” would soon be prepared to allow the export of grain from Ukraine.
In his Tuesday meeting with Erdogan, Putin also discussed “many issues” related to the resolution of the conflict in Syria, as well as “another important issue” related to the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Putin told Erdogan: We have a very heavy agenda and I am very happy to see you.
Source: Lebanon Debate
