TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will start a tour of regional countries on Monday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

Saeed Khatibzadeh, spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, said the chief Iranian diplomat will pay a visit to a number of regional countries to hold talks on a variety of issues.

“The top Iranian diplomat, heading a delegation, is to visit the Azerbaijan Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Georgia and the Republic of Turkey where he will sit down with his opposite numbers as well as other officials of those countries,” Khatibzadeh said in a statement.

“During his meetings, Zarif is to discuss bilateral issues, the latest developments in the Caucasus region, joints projects underway and ways of promoting peace and stability in the region,” the statement added.

On Wednesday, Zarif said he will travel to countries that can contribute to resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis.

“I intend to travel to countries that can work together to help the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis and the situation of peace and stability in the region,” he told the Akharin Khabar news website.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has said that the Iranian foreign minister will pay a visit to Moscow on January 26 to hold talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

She added that the two foreign ministers are expected to continue exchanging views on international issues including the situation around the Nagorno-Karabakh region and also the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) as well as the situation in Syria, Afghanistan, and the Persian Gulf region.

Zarif said that the dates of his trips to the Republic of Azerbaijan, Russia, Armenia, and Georgia have already been set and he was waiting the result of his Covid-19 test.

SM/PA