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According To Iran News, In a letter to his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced his country’s unity with Iran against the cruel and inhumane US anti-Iranian sanctions.

He initially congratulated Zarif on Ramadan, voicing Russia’s support for Iran under US sanctions and coronavirus pandemic.

“Russia has consistently denounced the illegal nature of unilateral US sanctions against Iran,” Lavrov wrote.

“We have always called on the United States to lift these sanctions and not to prevent a full-scale fight against the coronavirus infection,” he added.

“We also call on European countries not to be influenced by Washington’s intimidation and threats and to continue to interact with their Iranian partners.”

The Russian FM noted that his country discusses Iran’s concerns internationally with its counterpart, in particular under the framework of BRICS.

He assured that Russia will continue its all-out ties as well as joint major economic projects with Iran in the future.

Lavrov has repeatedly described the continuation of US sanctions against other countries as inhumane and illegal action amid coronavirus pandemic.

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According To Iran News, The foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey – the three guarantors of the Astana format- held a trilateral meeting via video conference to discuss Syria peace efforts.

The top diplomats of the three guarantors of the Astana peace process held the trilateral meeting via tele-conference on Wednesday, April 22.

In the meeting, held to discuss the latest developments in Syria and the region, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Mevlut Cavusoglu, and Sergei Lavrov talked about the latest developments, including the most recent situation in Idlib, Syria’s Constitutional Committee, the necessity for the removal of the unilateral sanctions, particularly given the outbreak of the coronavirus, humanitarian conditions, and return of the displaced persons.

The Iranian, Turkish and Russian foreign ministers emphasized the need to continue holding consultations and coordination at the highest level among the three guarantors of the Astana format as the most important and effective process for the settlement of the crisis in Syria.

The participants also agreed on the need to respect Syria’s independence, national sovereignty and territorial integrity, resolve the Syrian crisis politically, delineate between the terrorists and the opposition, and keep up the fight against terrorism.

Zarif, who has recently paid a visit to Syria to discuss the latest developments and hold consultations with the Syrian president and foreign minister, touched on the recent developments in Idlib during the trilateral meeting, and stressed the need for respecting Syria’s territorial integrity and for the continued fight against terrorism.

Pointing to his recent consultations with the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen, Zarif voiced support for his efforts to facilitate the Syrian-Syrian dialogue within the framework of the Constitutional Committee, and stressed the need for protecting the Committee’s independence and preventing foreign interference in the process of its activities.

The top Iranian diplomat also pointed to the far-reaching impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, slammed the unilateral sanctions as a serious obstacle to the battle with the virus, and reminded the international community and the United Nations of their responsibility to lift the sanctions, alleviate the suffering of Syrian people, and pay special attention to the status of the displaced persons at the refugee camps occupied by the US.

Zarif further described the efforts to expedite the return of Syrian refugees and the international community’s push to provide humanitarian aids as a major step in the fulfillment of that goal and the restoration of hope and stability to the Syrian community.

He also denounced the Zionist regime’s constant acts of aggression against Syria as a violation of Syria’s national sovereignty, saying they also threaten peace and stability in the region and contravene the international law.

The Iranian, Russian and Turkish foreign ministers in this meeting emphasized the necessity of proceeding with trilateral consultations at all levels, including by holding the sixth Summit of Astana Process in the Islamic Republic of Iran after the normalization of situation created by the coronavirus outbreak.

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According To Iran News, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov held talks on a range of issues, including the latest political developments in Afghanistan.

In a telephone conversation on Monday evening, the Iranian and Russian foreign ministers exchanged views on the most recent developments in the wake of a political crisis in Afghanistan, particularly the peace process in that country.

The two senior diplomats also talked about the recent developments in Yemen, with both stressing the need for a sustainable ceasefire in the Arab country.

Zarif and Lavrov also discussed the latest status of outbreak of the novel coronavirus in the region and the world, as well as concerted action against the pandemic.

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According To Iran News, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will visit Venezuela on Friday in a show of support for President Nicolas Maduro, a socialist who Washington wants out of power.

Russia has helped Maduro weather a political crisis as the US has targeted Caracas with sanctions and recognizes opposition politician Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s legitimate interim leader.

Moscow has denounced the US sanctions as illegal and damaging, while Venezuela’s opposition has urged Washington to step up pressure on Russia for its economic, diplomatic and military support of Maduro.

Lavrov, foreign minister since 2004, flies to Latin America on Wednesday, stopping in Cuba before heading to Mexico on Thursday and Venezuela the next day.

His trip follows a tour by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo of four former Soviet states – Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan – in a region that Moscow sees as its backyard.

In Venezuela, Lavrov will meet Maduro as well as Executive Vice President Delcy Rodriguez and Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza for talks that will broach deeper cooperation on energy, mining, transport, agriculture and defense, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said, Reuters reported.

“The agenda includes a discussion of steps … to counteract illegal unilateral sanctions that worsen the socioeconomic situation in Venezuela,” ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

The United States last year ratcheted up diplomatic pressure on Venezuela and imposed sanctions on the OPEC member’s state oil company, PDVSA.

Venezuela’s opposition disputed the legitimacy of Maduro’s re-election to a second term in 2018, and opposition leader Guaido proclaimed himself interim president in January last year, winning the backing of Washington and a few other countries.

Maduro has remained in power though, backed by the military as well as Russia, China, Iran and Cuba.

In Mexico, Lavrov will meet Foreign Secretary Luis Ebrard Casaubon to discuss economic and trade ties as well as cooperation with the Community of Latin America and Caribbean States (CELAC). In Cuba, Lavrov will meet his counterpart, Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, Zakharova said.

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TEHRAN (Iran News) – Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday Moscow has been urging Persian Gulf countries to consider a joint security mechanism and that it was high time the world got rid of unilateral measures such as sanctions.

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TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is scheduled to visit and hold talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced.

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According To Iran News, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is scheduled to hold talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Monday, the Russian foreign ministry announced.

“On December 30, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mohammad Javad Zarif will arrive in Moscow on a working visit, during which he will meet with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation said in a statement on Thursday.

It added, “The ministers will discuss the state of Russian-Iranian relations, prospects for further strengthening the bilateral political dialogue and developing ties in the trade, economic, cultural and other fields.”

“When discussing current issues on the international and regional agendas, special attention will be paid to the situation regarding the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on the Iranian nuclear program, the Syrian settlement, developments in the Persian Gulf area and other regional issues.”

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According To Iran News, The presence of US soldiers on Japanese soil is hindering closer ties between Tokyo and Russia and remains of concern to Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Saturday.

There are some 54,000 American personnel stationed in Japan as part of a mutual security pact between the two countries, according to the US military.

Speaking on the sidelines of a G20 foreign ministers’ meeting held in Nagoya, central Japan, Lavrov said these troops were “of course a problem on the road to improving the quality of Russia-Japanese relations.”

He said Moscow’s concerns “over its own security stemming from the presence, development and constant reinforcement of the US-Japan political and military alliance” had been transmitted to the Japanese side, who had “promised to react.”

“We will await their response and continue discussions,” said Lavrov, AFP reported.

The two countries are locked in negotiations to conclude a peace treaty they never signed to end hostilities after World War II.

Talks are deadlocked by a dispute over four islands, between the Sea of Okhotsk and the Pacific Ocean, seized by the Soviet army in the last days of World War II.

The string of volcanic islands are called the Kurils by Russia and the Northern Territories by Japan.

Japan considers the four islands part of their territory.

Last November, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed to accelerate talks towards formally ending their World War II hostilities.

They said they would resume talks on the basis of a 1956 declaration that restored diplomatic relations between Japan and the Soviet Union.

At that time, the USSR offered to give Japan the two smallest islands in exchange for agreeing to a treaty and Moscow keeping the bigger islands.

This deal was annulled by the Soviet Union in 1960 after Tokyo and Washington signed a cooperation accord.

“Let me remind you when the 1956 declaration was being negotiated, the USSR said that it could only be fully implemented if there was an end to US presence in Japan,” said Lavrov.

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