During their March 29 meeting in Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, finalized a draft of a comprehensive treaty on a bilateral strategic partnership which will be signed when Lavrov visits Tehran during an upcoming visit, Vedomosti reported March 30. Kiril Semenov of the Russian International Affairs Council explained that the two countries are now positioned to forge a new approach in their relationship, due in part to the March 10 rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
An additional factor is both nations’ participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which Semenov pointed out has the opportunity to become a global Eurasian platform without the participation of the U.S. or the EU. Both Saudi Arabia and Turkiye are interested in interacting within the SCO.
According to the Foreign Ministry’s press release, the two leaders made progress in a number of areas, including a plan for Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) to sign a comprehensive free-trade agreement. Lavrov commented that “we share coinciding or close positions on key international and regional matters, and reaffirmed our refusal to accept the destructive policy of the collective West aimed at replacing international law and a UN-centric architecture with a U.S.-led rules-based order, as the Americans call it.” They agreed to work closely together at the UN within the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations, established in New York.
On Ukraine, Lavrov said he appreciated Tehran’s balanced position and “understanding of the true motives of what is happening. We highlighted the subversive policy pursued by the NATO countries which have long been parties to this conflict.”
Lavrov welcomed the improved situation in West Asia, which he said was due to the improved relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, noting that “this is the outcome we have been advocating for at all times by making specific proposals, including as part of Russia’s Collective Security Concept for the Gulf Region, which shares a lot in common with Iran’s Hormuz Peace Endeavor” (HOPE).
The Peace Endeavor is a plan to secure peace in the region including the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman. Presented by Iran at the 74th meeting of the UN General Assembly in September 2019, it is intended to involve participation of all the nations of the region, excluding any extra-regional forces. (https://mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/1860306/)
