Исламская Республика Иран
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s statement and answers to media questions at a joint news conference following talks with Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran Sayyid Abbas Araghchi, Moscow, April 18, 2025
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Today, we engaged in comprehensive discussions with my colleague, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran Abbas Araghchi. These talks reaffirmed our commitment to achieving further positive outcomes in our bilateral relations and international collaboration, building upon the agreements reached by our Presidents and in light of my visit to Tehran in February of this year.
Our joint assessment is that Russian-Iranian relations are of a distinctive nature, fully aligned with the spirit of comprehensive strategic partnership. These bonds continue to develop dynamically, despite the complex regional and global situation, as well as the attempts to exert pressure on our nations in order to hinder the development of both Iran and the Russian Federation, the goal overtly declared.
On April 8, 2025, the State Duma ratified the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran. This treaty was signed during the official visit of President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian Federation in January 2025, and on April 16, 2025, the Federal Council approved the ratification law.
We are confident that the enactment of this historic document will have a positive impact on our collaboration across all spheres, both bilaterally and on the international stage.
Our political dialogue remains highly active. Recently, our Presidents have met on three occasions: in Ashgabat on October 11, 2024, at the Interconnection of Times and Civilisations International Forum; in Kazan on October 23, 2024, on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit; and on January 17, 2025, during the official visit of President Pezeshkian to the Russian Federation.
Today, as a follow-up to the meeting at the Kremlin yesterday, where President Vladimir Putin received Minister Araghchi, we focused on a range of specific issues on the international agenda and discussed bilateral matters in greater detail, particularly in the realm of trade and economic cooperation.
Our trade turnover has demonstrated positive growth. By the end of last year, it increased by more than 13 percent, nearly matching the record figures of 2022 (approximately $5 billion). This upward trend continues despite the aforementioned severe sanctions imposed by the West against the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran, in blatant violation of the United Nations Charter, WTO regulations, and other international legal agreements.
We reviewed the preparations for the upcoming 18th meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation, which will take place here in Moscow from April 23 to 25, 2025. Key topics for discussion include bilateral infrastructure, logistics, and investment cooperation, particularly the implementation of the flagship project to construct the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant and the Resht-Astra railway section, financed through a Russian loan as part of the International North-South Transport Corridor. This corridor will play a pivotal role in significantly expanding trade, economic, and other ties across our shared region.
We agreed to expedite the implementation of existing agreements to create the necessary conditions for the effective and comprehensive realisation of these projects. We also endorsed the further intensification of business ties. We are confident that the Free Trade Agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and the Islamic Republic of Iran, which will enter into force on May 15, 2025, will facilitate the expansion of trade turnover and the simplification of mutual trade procedures.
We engaged in a constructive discussion of pressing international issues. We are of one mind when it comes to the importance for all countries to respect international law, primarily, the principles of the UN Charter in their entirety and interrelation, rather than selectively, as our Western “colleagues” often do.
We have a vested interest in strengthening the Group of Friends in Defence of the UN Charter which was established in 2021 and is drafting policy papers and circulating them in the General Assembly and other UN bodies.
Countering illegal, destructive, unilateral, and coercive restrictions was among the priorities that we discussed today. These restrictions cause more harm to the countries that levy them, and international trade, than they do to the countries on the receiving end, because they sharply limit competition and all other principles underlying the WTO and other entities serving the global economy.
We agreed to continue substantive work on these issues. In addition to counteraction at the political level within the UN and other multilateral platforms, we will continue to apply bilateral efforts in order to taper off the effect of these illegal sanctions to zero. We are fully confident that we will be able to accomplish this.
We agreed to step up cooperation at the SCO and BRICS. We had a substantive discussion of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on the nuclear programme of Iran. We both believe that Washington scuttling this plan in 2019 marred the general atmosphere of the talks. Nevertheless, we welcomed the push (as far as we can tell) to reach objective and mutually acceptable agreements, including the ones that have been and continue to be discussed by the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States.
Without a doubt, Russia is willing to facilitate this process and will support in every possible way the agreements that factor in the legitimate interests of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
We have coordinated our strategies with regard to other matters of international politics, including the situation in the Palestinian territories, which is a matter of deep concern, as well as the developments in Syria after the change of government in December 2024, and in the Middle East in general. We continue cooperating as part of the Caspian Five and on South Caucasus issues.
I believe our talks were productive and held on time. We will continue to carry out the principled agreements reached by our respective presidents and to maintain constant contact.
Question (retranslated from Persian): On April 19, indirect talks between the delegations of Iran and the United States will take place in Rome. We have spotted mixed signals coming from the United States. Do you think the Americans are genuinely willing to come to terms?
Sergey Lavrov: I think my colleague Abbas Araghchi has just answered this question. So, I will pass the microphone to him.
Question: The US media reported some time ago that President Trump had asked President Vladimir Putin to mediate negotiations with Iran. Is this request being reviewed and what format of the deal does Moscow see as the most acceptable to ensure security in the region?
Sergey Lavrov: I noted in my opening remarks that we are prepared to help, to mediate, and to play any role that will be useful and acceptable to the United States from Iran’s point of view.
We believe that an agreement focusing exclusively on nuclear matters is the way forward if we want to reach an agreement, as the Minister just said. Notably, the Islamic Republic of Iran is willing to look for an agreement as part of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. This is a matter of principle that must be taken into account by those who are trying to saddle the talks with non-nuclear issues and thus create a situation that is fraught with risks.
Question (retranslated from Persian): We are glad to be in an environment that came into being after the big treaty between Russia and Iran had been signed and the leadership of both countries had said that our countries had reached the level of strategic partnership. How is work to simplify visa requirements for tourists and other categories of travellers going?
Sergey Lavrov: A number of steps had been taken before the agreement was signed aimed at easing visa regulations for certain categories of applicants. The Islamic Republic of Iran is one of the many countries included on the electronic visa list that was introduced last year. This is the most simplified procedure.
In addition, we are now taking additional steps with regard to a number of documents in order to fully exempt embassy staff, both diplomats and holders of service passports, from visa requirements.
The draft agreement on visa-free tourist travel for citizens of Russia and the Islamic Republic is nearly complete. Importantly, this work began before the treaty was signed and before it came into force.
But the fact is that the strategic partnership opens up more opportunities for people-to-people contacts, and that both sides will strive to make these contacts as comfortable as possible.
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