Russia role in Persian Gulf paradigm shift instrumental: Iran FM

EghtesadOnline: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says Russia can play a key role in bringing about a "paradigm shift" in the Persian Gulf region through its rising influence in the Middle East.

News ID: ۷۴۵۰۴۱

24 February 2018

In a post on his official Twitter account on Monday, Zarif said he was delighted to address the Valdai Club conference on the Middle East in the Russian capital of Moscow.

"With Russia's sober strategic perspective and its growing influence in West Asia, it can play an instrumental role to help a paradigm shift in the Persian Gulf to one based on dialogue and inclusion," PressTV quoted the top Iranian diplomat as saying.

Delighted to address @ValdaiClub: With Russia's sober strategic perspective and its growing influence in West Asia, it can play an instrumental role to help a paradigm shift in the Persian Gulf to one based on dialogue and inclusion. pic.twitter.com/7H9E4t3Smp
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) February 19, 2018

Addressing the Valdai Club conference, Zarif said Syria is facing a "new wave" of US intervention, where Washington is still pursuing geoeconomic interests in the Arab country.

"Unfortunately we see a new wave of foreign intervention and occupation particularly by the US, driven by an obsession,” the Iranian foreign minister told the conference.

Russia and Iran have both been offering Syria advisory military help upon request from the Syrian government.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, earlier this month expressed the opposition of their respective countries to the presence of foreign forces in Syria without the consent of the Syrian government and nation.

Presidents Rouhani and Putin held a telephone conversation on Tuesday, discussing a range of topics, mainly Syria.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in January reiterated Damascus's resolve to continue battling terrorism with the help of Iran and Russia, amid efforts for the peaceful settlement of the crisis in the Arab country.

Assad made the remarks in a meeting with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Jaberi Ansari in the Syrian capital Damascus.

Iran, Turkey, Russia FMs to prepare Syria summit

The foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey plan to meet in Kazakhstan in two weeks to prepare the ground for a summit due to be held in the Turkish city of Istanbul on Syria, the TASS news agency cited Zarif as saying on Monday.

The three countries are working together to try to push forward the Syrian peace process.

In a phone call on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the latest developments in Syria.