TEHRAN - Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, met Vladimir Putin’s special envoy on Syria Alexander Lavrentiev on Tuesday to discuss regional issues, especially the Syria crisis.

Lavrentiev gave a report about a trilateral meeting between the national security advisors of Russia, the U.S. and Israel in Jerusalem.

“Russia’s clear position on Iran’s legal presence in Syria and also opposition against maximum pressure against the Islamic Republic was announced in the meeting,” Lavrentiev said.

It was said in the meeting that Iran is a powerful country in the region and is a strategic partner of Russia, the envoy added.

Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton and Israeli National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat met in Jerusalem on June 19.

Iran and Russia have been supporting the Syrian government against terrorists and also militants backed by Turkey and certain Western and Arab countries.

However, Iran, Russia and Turkey have been working together to bring an end to the war in Syria through the Astana talks and so far they have made considerable progress.
 
NA/PA