TEHRAN - Ali Akbar Ahmadian, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, is set to embark on a visit to Russia following a formal invitation from his Russian counterpart, Nikolai Patrushev.

Ahmadian will lead a high-level security delegation to St. Petersburg, Russia, to partake in the 12th Meeting of High-Ranking Officials on Security Issues. 

Aligned with Iran’s policy of multilateralism and continuing the nation’s proactive political-security diplomacy, particularly under the Raisi administration, Ahmadian aims to bolster bilateral, regional, and international relations. 

He is scheduled to engage in discussions with counterparts from Russia, Brazil, South Africa, China, India, and Iraq.

The St. Petersburg security summit, a longstanding annual event spanning over a decade, stands out as a significant international gathering spearheaded by Russia.

A notable aspect of this summit is its focus on countering Western unilateralism, particularly the United States' actions in the realm of international security. 

Given the summit's pivotal role in international security discourse, Iran has consistently demonstrated active engagement since its inception.

Last year's summit saw the participation of senior security officials from over a hundred countries, underscoring its global significance and interest.

The commencement of this year's meeting in St. Petersburg on Tuesday signifies the continued attention and participation of governments, security officials, and both regional and international media outlets.

In early February, Ahmadian arrived in the Iraqi capital Baghdad and held talks with several high-ranking Iraqi officials.

Upon his arrival, he was warmly welcomed by Iraqi officials and then held talks with the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani. 

During the meeting, Ahmadian reiterated Tehran’s commitment to Iraq’s territorial integrity, vowing to safeguard its security and stability.

They also noted that both sides are keen to follow their collaboration based on the Iran-Iraq security pact in a bid to maintain security of the two neighboring countries.

The Iraqi premier declared that no country has the right to infringe Iraq’ territorial integrity, ruling out any unilateral actions by neighboring countries that contradict international principles based on mutual respect for sovereignty.

Al Sudani also underscored Baghdad’s commitment to the principle of good neighborliness and fostering strong relations with regional and global countries.
 
Furthermore, he pointed out that such pursuits should not compromise Iraq’s sovereignty and security.

In another meeting, Ahmadian visited Qasim al-Araji, the Iraqi National Security Advisor where Mohammad Kazem Al-Sadiq, Iran’s ambassador to Baghdad, was also present.

In the meeting, Ahmadian said Tehran is always seeking to strengthen its relations with all parties in line with common interests and based on mutual respect.

He also emphasized that Iran behaves based on respect for Iraq’s sovereignty and that all problems can be resolved through targeted and constructive dialogues.

In the meeting, Al-Araji stressed that the ties between Baghdad and Tehran are distinct and strategic, and the two countries and two friendly nations of Iran and Iraq have many commonalities.

He went on to continue that reciprocal visits between Tehran and Baghdad indicate the depth of relations between the two countries and their common approach to dealing with risks and challenges, which requires direct solutions and should not be taken unilaterally.

The Iraqi National Security Advisor averred that constructive dialogue can solve all problems.