TEHRAN— Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian and his Polish counterpart, Zbigniew Rau, held a phone conversation on Friday to discuss bilateral ties as well as the regional and international developments, including the crisis in Ukraine and the Vienna talks.

During the talks, Amir Abdollahian thanked the Polish government for its efforts to assist the displaced and the refugees of Ukraine, especially in the case of the repatriation of Iranian nationals.

In turn, the Polish foreign minister pointed to the historical background of ties between the two states, especially the Iranian people’s humanitarian move to host Polish refugees in the course of World War II, describing the relations as a source of pride for both countries.

He said 1,400 Iranians have so far crossed the Ukrainian border into Poland and the country’s authorities have attempted to assist them after the tragic events in Ukraine and help them to leave Poland with a good memory.

For his part, Amir Abdollahian said the existence of a mutually positive mentality between the people of the two countries is important in long-running relations between the two governments. 

He also expressed Iran’s readiness to hold a joint ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of the hosting of Polish nationals by Iranians at the same time as Poland’s foreign minister visits Tehran.

The Iranian foreign minister referred to the dispatch of a plane carrying humanitarian supplies in cooperation with Iran’s Red Crescent Society and the International Red Cross, expressing Tehran’s readiness to send relief aid to Ukraine’s refugees.

He said Iran’s aid groups are prepared to offer any humanitarian assistance to the refugees in Poland in coordination with the International Red Cross.

Amir Abdollahian reaffirmed Iran’s stance on the need to end the Ukraine crisis via a political solution and said, “Based on the principles of the Islamic Republic’s foreign policy and without any double standards, we do not see war as a solution neither in Ukraine, nor in Yemen, Afghanistan, or anywhere else in the world.”

In this regard, Rau responded by saying it is necessary to set up humanitarian corridors aimed at facilitating the evacuation of women and children as well as the delivery of food and medications to the displaced in Ukraine.

The top Polish diplomat said some international organizations, including the International Red Cross, are making efforts to establish a humanitarian corridor.

His country, he said, has so far hosted 1.5 million refugees from Ukraine, with the figure likely to reach 5 million, adding that it is thus of vital importance for Ukraine’s neighbors to be provided with international support.

The Polish foreign minister welcomed the dispatch of an Iranian aid team to Poland to offer help to the refugees in coordination with the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Warsaw and the Department of Regional Cooperation at Poland’s Foreign Ministry.

He expressed hope that the international community will further step up the provision of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and its neighbors.