Russia and Iran Foreign Ministers Meet to Discuss Nuclear Deal Restoration and More

Solo Meeting in Moscow on the 17th

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] The foreign ministers of Russia and Iran, who have been strengthening close cooperation in economic and security fields before and after the Ukraine war, will hold a meeting in Moscow to discuss bilateral cooperation and the resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue. The plan for this meeting came just one day after the two countries' leaders promised close cooperation during a phone call. It is interpreted as an effort to strengthen the anti-American alliance in response to strong sanctions from the United States and the West.

On the 12th (local time), the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian will hold talks in Moscow, Russia on the 17th to discuss cooperation measures in economic and security fields.

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said in a briefing, "The two foreign ministers will discuss security and economic issues including mutual cooperation within the framework of international organizations such as the United Nations, solutions to the Syrian civil war, and joint projects in energy and logistics sectors." The two foreign ministers also agreed to include the issue of restoring the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA - Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) as an agenda item for the meeting.

The agreement, signed in 2015 between Iran and six countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, China, and Russia, stipulates lifting economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for freezing or reducing its nuclear program.

In 2018, former U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal and reinstated sanctions against Iran. In response, Iran limited inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and increased uranium enrichment levels.

Since the inauguration of the Biden administration, negotiations among the parties to prevent a catastrophic situation have continued since April 2021 but have reached a deadlock without narrowing differences.

As a participant in the nuclear deal restoration negotiations, Russia is expected to advise Iran on ways to find a breakthrough in negotiations against Western countries pressuring nuclear inspections.

This foreign ministers' meeting was announced just one day after the two countries' leaders agreed to continue close cooperation during a phone call. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi agreed during the call to strengthen cooperation in economic and trade sectors such as energy, transportation, and logistics, and to closely coordinate on issues including the Syrian civil war.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year, Russia and Iran, which have been subjected to strong sanctions from the United States, the European Union (EU), and other Western countries, have been demonstrating close diplomatic cooperation. Foreign media interpret this meeting as an effort by the two countries, the world's largest oil exporters, to strengthen the cohesion of the anti-American alliance in response to Western sanctions.