TEHRAN – The Iranian and Russian foreign ministers held a telephone conversation on Thursday to discuss the resumption of talks between Iran and the European Union.

Following the resumption of talks between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the European Union that saw negotiations between Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagehri Kani and Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service Enrique Mora in Tehran, the Iranian and Russian foreign ministers held a telephone conversation and exchanged views on the matter, the Iranian foreign ministry said. 

Hossein Amir Adollahian emphasized in the telephone conversation that the talks with Mora were positive and both sides expressed their satisfaction and readiness to continue the negotiations.

"Our current talks with Enrique Mora are focused on finding practical solutions to the current problems and impasse in Vienna, which are due to Washington's non-aligned stance and approach to a complete and effective lifting of unilateral and illegal sanctions," he said.

Abdollahian also said at the end of Thursday talks, the two sides agreed to continue consultations between Bagheri and Mora in Brussels in the next two weeks. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also welcomed the talks between Iran and the EU. He stressed that, following his detailed meeting with Abdollahian in Moscow last week, he had instructed his colleagues at the Russian Foreign Ministry to hold close consultations with their counterparts in the Islamic Republic to follow up on issues related to the nuclear deal.

In the telephone conversation, the Russian foreign minister praised Iran’s logical position on the return of all parties to their obligations.

In the end, Lavrov referred to his meeting with the foreign minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Thursday, saying he was informed of the good and constructive telephone conversation between Iran’s foreign minister and his Azeri counterpart.

Lavrov stressed that Moscow welcomes the agreements reached in the telephone conversation and considers them a step in the right direction.