Pezeshkian to Putin: Iran Not to Leave Negotiating Table

By Staff, Agencies 

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has reaffirmed Tehran’s commitment to diplomacy while firmly rejecting US unilateralism, telling Russian President Vladimir Putin that the Islamic Republic will not walk away from the negotiating table even as Washington continues its attacks.

“We are engaged in dialogue; yet, every time we talk to the US, they launch new attacks. Nevertheless, we will not walk away from the negotiating table," Pezeshkian said on Thursday evening when he met President Putin on the sidelines of the Commonwealth of Independent States [CIS] summit and the Caspian Sea environmental summit in Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan.

"Proposals were exchanged, both from our side and from the Americans, and we have made our own revisions to them. Once finalized, we intend to sit down with the relevant intermediaries to consolidate and conclude the matter,” Pezeshkian said.

Pezeshkian praised Moscow’s consistent opposition to unilateralism and added that Iran is pursuing the same path.

He thanked Russia for its positions at the regional level and in the United Nations, as well as its role in checking the unchecked assertion of unilateralism.

“Our goal is to end the conflict and ensure the rights of the Iranian nation are respected within the framework of international law; however, if the US insists on pursuing a path of unilateralism, this will not be feasible,” Pezeshkian stressed.

He further added: “I am truly pleased with the interactions currently taking shape. As you noted, our relations are expanding in most areas; this trend is progressing positively regarding trade, economic, and people-to-people ties”.

He underlined Iran’s determination to advance the agreed programs, saying they can lead to success in most sectors, and voiced hope that coordination already achieved will accelerate.

Pointing to Washington’s approach, the Iranian president stated that the world and the region must move toward multilateralism.

“Just as you have opposed unilateralism, the world and the region we inhabit must move toward multilateralism; we must not accept the spread of unilateralism globally. The US seeks to impose its policies and views on all nations and to assert dominance; it currently dictates its domestic policies to other countries,” he stated.

Putin, for his part, said he was very pleased to meet Pezeshkian and observed that Russia and Iran share numerous strategic programs and policies that are growing day by day.

He conveyed greetings and best wishes for the health and success of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Sayyed Mojtaba Khamenei, and emphasized the need to resolve regional issues through diplomacy.

“The key issue in the region is resolving the current crisis -- one that the Islamic Republic of Iran played no role in instigating -- and numerous countries are now striving to end this war through diplomacy. Iran, too, has put forward its own new proposals to bring the conflict to a close,” Putin said.

He added that Russia’s stance is entirely clear and that Moscow will exert every effort to help resolve the crisis through diplomatic channels.

The meeting took place as Pezeshkian participated for the first time as a special guest in the expanded CIS format while also attending the Caspian environmental summit.

Both sides reviewed progress in bilateral cooperation and underscored the importance of speeding up joint projects in energy, agriculture, transportation, and trade in the interest of the two nations and regional stability.