TEHRAN - Upon his arrival in Moscow on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Iran is seeking to form a six-party bloc in the Caucasus region that would include Iran, Russia, Turkey, the Republic of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia.

“We are looking to form a six-party cooperation union in the region and it is the most important goal of this regional trip,” Zarif said.

Zarif went to the Republic of Azerbaijan before Russia and is scheduled to travel to Georgia, Armenia, and Turkey as part of his regional tour.

Talking to reporters at Moscow airport, Zarif said that his travel is intended to upgrade cooperation among the six countries and make coordination on other regional issues as well.

Multilateral cooperation in the region has great importance for Iran, he remarked. 

In Moscow, Zarif is to consult with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on various issues including the Karabakh situation, the JCPOA, Syria, Afghanistan, and the situation in the Persian Gulf region.

The senior diplomat stressed that Iran-Russia relationship entails continuous mutual contacts.
 
In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry pointed to Zarif's visit to Moscow and said Russia is determined to develop fruitful relations with Iran.

Russia brokered a peace deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, ending a deadly 44-day war with Armenia over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh from late September through to November 2020.

The Iranian foreign minister praised Russia for ending the war between the two former Soviet republics.

“After the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis and the war in our neighborhood, this war was stopped by the efforts of the Russian Federation and Vladimir Putin,” Zarif pointed out. 

Zarif added, “In today's meeting, we will discuss the international situation, the implementation of the JCPOA by all parties and Russia, and of course other issues such as Syria, Afghanistan, and Yemen are also on the agenda."

"Since Trump left the office, a special situation has been created, and therefore we are seeking to coordinate with Russian officials on international issues,” Zarif remarked.