TEHRAN — Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, who had traveled to Russia along with President Ebrahim Raisi, held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Thursday with an emphasis on implementing agreements made by the Iranian and Russian presidents as soon as possible.

Amir Abdollahian and Lavrov exchanged views over issues of mutual interest as well as bilateral, regional and international issues.

President Raisi made a two-day visit to Moscow. He held high profile talks with Russian President on Wednesday and presented a speech at the Russian Duma on Thursday.

In their meeting, Amir Abdollahian and Lavrov referred to expanding ties between Ian and Russia, saying the meeting between the presidents of the two countries shows Tehran and Moscow’s seriousness about developing relations. 

They expressed hope that relevant bodies in Iran and Russia will implement the agreements reached at the level of presidents.

Amir Abdollahian also spoke of problems faced by some Iranian passengers at Moscow’s airport and asked his Russian counterpart to take immediate and serious action to resolve problems.

Lavrov described Raisi’s visit to Russia as an important development in bilateral ties and underlined that the way has been paved for expanding Tehran-Moscow relations.

Lavrov expressed hope that economic projects that are currently being implemented by Russian companies in Iran would be completed as soon as possible.

The Russian foreign minister also called for joint efforts to resolve consular problems facing passengers. He underlined the need to resolve the existing problems by relevant bodies. Lavrov said that the key problem is that some Iranian citizens do not complete the visa application forms properly and fail to accurately declare the purpose of their visit to Russia at Moscow’s airport.

The foreign ministers of Iran and Russia also discussed the latest regional and international developments including the Vienna talks. Amir Abdollahian and Lavrov underlined the necessity of bilateral and multilateral cooperation in this regard.

The Vienna talks, which Russia is also party, is aimed at removing the anti-Iran sanctions.

Amir Abdollahian, Lavrov asked to work on 20-year cooperation roadmap

Elsewhere in their discussions, the two chief diplomats underlined the need to finalize the roadmap of relations between Iran and Russian that was put forth during the meeting between presidents of two countries.

They also exchanged views over the latest developments in Afghanistan and Yemen.

In an interview with Iran’s state TV on Wednesday, Amir Abdollahian said the Iranian and Russian presidents have tasked the top diplomats of the two countries to work out a roadmap for cooperation over the next two decades.

Amir Abdollahian also elaborated on a three-hour meeting between Raisi and Putin earlier in the day.

“Mr. Raeisi and Mr. Putin instructed the two countries’ foreign ministers to prepare a 20-year roadmap for long-term cooperation,” he said, according to Press TV.

Earlier, Amir Abdollahian had said in an article for Russia’ Sputnik news agency that Iran and Russia are determined to update the 20-year cooperation treaty they had signed in 2001. The agreement was originally meant to last four 10 years, but it has twice been extended for five years.

Insistence on inclusive government in Afghanistan 

In their Thursday meeting, the two foreign ministers also reiterated that the only solution to the situation in Afghanistan is to form an inclusive government with the involvement of all ethnic groups in the country.

As for Yemen, Amir Abdollahian and Lavrov also underlined that the country’s crisis can only be resolved politically by stopping guns, removing the siege on Yemeni people and establishing a dialogue between warring Yemeni factions.

Also, in his interview with the Iranian TV, Amir-Abdollahian said the meeting between Raisi and Putin was held in a “friendly” and serious” climate in accordance with all the health protocols in place in Russia, which is currently grappling with the deadly wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The two presidents, he said, “reviewed almost once all the issues of bilateral relations in the fields of politics and strategy, economy, trade, culture, science and technology, private sector trade, and all other topics of common interest.” 

They also held detailed discussions about regional issues, including the developments in Yemen, and stressed the need to end the war in the impoverished country through political channels, he added.

He said Raisi and Putin exchanged views on the roles and capacities of Iran and Russia in promoting peace in different regional states.

The Iranian foreign minister also said the two presidents explored ways to step up the fight against unilateralism and promote multilateralism.