Zarif, Putin Meet In Moscow, Discuss Bilateral Ties

Moscow, Jan 18, IRNA – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday. During the meeting in Kremlin palace on Thursday, the Iranian foreign minister conveyed President Rouhani's warm greetings to President Putin, and said Tehran is seriously pursuing the agreements between Iranian and Russian presidents in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, earlier in 2013. Zarif underlined close cooperation between Iran and Russia in all fields and voiced pleasure in President Putin's acceptance of President Rouhani's invitation to visit Tehran in the near future. The Iranian foreign minister also assessed as important the Russian governments efforts within the Group 5+1 framework to enter a new phase of agreements. President Putin, for his part, responded to his Iranian counterparts warm greetings and pointed to friendly relations between the two countries and the inter alia agreements between Iran and the Group 5+1 due to Iran's efforts and cooperation and called for implementation of agreements by different sides. The Russian president reiterated that Iran and Russia should expand their mutual cooperation in different areas, especially trade and economic areas. The Iranian foreign minister, heading a high-ranking delegation, arrived in Moscow on Wednesday night to hold talks with senior Russian officials. Zarif also met his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. Iranian, Russian and Syrian foreign ministers also attended a trilateral meeting on Thursday./end