Russian President Putin in Iran for trilateral talks | News | DW

Russian President Vladimir Putin was in Tehran on Tuesday for talks along with his Iranian and Turkish counterparts on key points affecting the area.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan mentioned the continued battle in Syria in addition to the UN-backed proposal to permit for grain to be exported from Ukrainian ports.

Putin mentioned the talks had been “actually helpful and relatively substantial” and mentioned that the leaders had adopted a joint declaration, pledging to bolster cooperation by way of the state of affairs in Syria.

Putin additionally referred to as for the revival of the Iran nuclear deal, stressing the significance of preserving it.

“We contemplate it essential to proceed efforts to protect the nuclear deal and to create circumstances for its renewed sustainable realization
on the premise of UN Safety Council Decision 2231,” Putin mentioned following the talks.

In bilateral discussions with Turkey, Putin expressed thanks for Ankara’s mediation efforts on the grain exports, which have been caught at Ukrainian ports, on account of Russia’s ongoing invasion.

“Not all the problems have been resolved but, but it surely’s good that there was some progress,” Putin mentioned.

The three regional powers have a fancy relationship of shared pursuits and conflicts. The talks mark Putin’s second journey outdoors of Russia because the starting of the struggle in Ukraine and the primary face-to-face assembly with a NATO member chief.

The talks additionally come days after US President Joe Biden visited Washington’s key allies within the area — Saudi Arabia and Israel, in addition to the Palestinian Territories.

Erdogan praises Russia’s ‘very optimistic method’

Talking on the opening of the summit on Tuesday, Erdogan pushed for backing from Russia and Iran in Turkey’s combat towards “terrorism” in Syria. Throughout an earlier press convention, Erdogan spoke of Kurdish militias inflicting “nice bother” for Iran and Turkey.

Erdogan praised Russia’s “very, very optimistic method” throughout final week’s grain talks in Istanbul and expressed optimism {that a} deal will probably be made, and “the end result that can emerge may have a optimistic impression on the entire world.”

Turkey’s position on the summit

Forward of the trilateral talks, Iranian Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Erdogan towards additional aggression in Syria. Each Iran and Russia assist President Bashar Assad’s regime, whereas Turkey has thrown its weight behind sure anti-Assadist teams.

“Sustaining the territorial integrity of Syria is essential, and any navy assault in northern Syria will undoubtedly hurt Turkey, Syria and your complete area, and profit terrorists,” Khamenei instructed Erdogan.

Shiite Iran and Sunni Turkey have clashed over competing makes an attempt to affect the battle in Syria

Turkey has threatened to launch a navy operation into northern Syria, significantly areas managed by Kurdish teams, to increase a so-called “secure zone.”

Ankara has additionally discovered itself on the alternative facet of Moscow in conflicts in Azerbaijan and Libya, and has even offered drones to Ukraine. However its position as a NATO member that has not imposed sanctions, makes Turkey a much-needed companion for Russia. 

Erdogan has additionally confirmed to be a thorn within the facet of NATO’s plan to shortly settle for Sweden and Finland into the alliance.

Iran and Russia’s competitors and cooperation

Iran and Russia now discover themselves in the identical boat within the face of extreme financial sanctions which have already taken a big toll on Iran.

But the 2 are additionally financial rivals as key oil and gasoline exporters. This grew to become even clearer after Russia pivoted its export focus to China following the western sanctions. China has been a key marketplace for Iranian vitality.

On the identical time, Iran can be going through an more and more united regional bloc consisting of the Sunni Arab Gulf states and Israel whose nearly solely shared curiosity is in countering Iran’s affect and advancing nuclear program.

Iran is probably going hoping to stress the US into accepting concessions to revive the 2015 nuclear deal due to the rising worth of vitality that was made moot by Washington’s unilateral withdrawal beneath the Trump regime in 2018. Subsequent sanctions have crippled Iran’s financial system.

Nevertheless, on Tuesday, shortly forward of Putin’s arrival, the Nationwide Iranian Oil Firm (NIOC) and Russian state-run gasoline large Gazprom signed an settlement price $40 billion (€39 billion) to hunt out choices for cooperation.

kb,ab/nm, jsi (AP, Reuters)