TEHRAN - Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araqchi said on Friday that Iran and Russia are “reliable partners”.

“I totally agree that Iran and Russia are reliable partners,” TASS quoted Araqchi as saying during a meeting in Moscow with Sergei Ryabkov, the Russian deputy foreign minister.

“Our cooperation concerning the regional and international agenda has been very honest, we have similar positions on many regional and global issues,” Araqchi remarked. 

Araqchi also thanked Russia for its position on the 2015 nuclear deal - the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action - after the U.S. exited the multilateral agreement.

“We are very pleased to see Moscow maintain a logical, just and balanced position. I would like to thank Russia for its position on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action,” he said.

The Iranian deputy foreign minister noted that the current crisis surrounding the nuclear deal had stemmed from Washington’s unilateral actions. He expressed hope that other parties to the deal would continue implementing the terms of the agreement. 

Russia, China, and the European Union trio – Germany, France and Britain – are the remaining parties of the agreement.
 
“We hope that the JCPOA’s European parties will remain committed to their obligations,” Araqchi insisted.

For his part, Ryabkov said that Russia makes efforts to boost cooperation with Iran and support the country against the U.S. sanctions.

President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. unilaterally from the nuclear deal in May and ordered sanctions against Iran. The first round of sanctions went into force on August 6 and the second round, which targets Iran’s oil exports and banks, were snapped back on November 4.

NA/PA