MOSCOW, December 9. Russia favors inviting to the Geneva-2 international conference the regions influential countries, including Iran. This Russias foreign ministry stated on the eve of Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's visit to Tehran scheduled for December 11.
Russia and Iran share in many aspects the positions on the Syrian crisis, the Russian foreign ministry said. We see the major objective in soonest stopping of the bloodshed and sufferings of the Syrian people by launching a wide inter-Syrian dialogue on the basis of the Geneva communique of June 30, 2012.
We oppose methods of force for settling the Syrian crisis. We are convinced any outside interference in the Syrian home conflict without involvement of the UN Security Council will only dramatize the very complicated situation in that country, will add to the sufferings of its people, and will reduce chances for agreements between the Syrian sides.
Other questions on the agenda of the visit to Iran include: preparations for the Caspian summit due in Astrakhan in autumn 2014, cooperation on Afghanistan, fighting drug trafficking in the region.
We believe Russia and Iran should apply maximum efforts to give an additional impetus to settlement of the tasks in successful, fourth, round of the Caspian summit in Astrakhan in autumn of 2014, the Russian foreign ministry said. We expect to ink there several important documents.
As for the situation in Afghanistan, the Russian diplomatic authority said it welcomed Tehrans intentions to establish close cooperation in the region and also Irans efforts on fighting drug trafficking from the territory of Afghanistan, which is a major threat to the international peace and stability.
During the visit, the two sides will discuss various aspects of the trade and economic cooperation.
Russia and Iran have a mutually-adding potentials, which may be realized for the social and economic development of the two countries. We hope that on the basis of the earlier results and the experience in the bilateral cooperation, we shall be able to improve the mutual trade, the foreign ministry said. This is the focus of the permanent Russian-Iranian commission on trade and economic cooperation.
The Russian-Iranian relations are based on friendship and good neighborhood and do not depend on political situations. The political dialogue between leaders of the two countries has been ongoing and has been very intensive lately. We plan to continue developing the mutually beneficial relations with Iran, to continue cooperation in the interests of the regional stability and international security. We hope the line for the overwhelming mutually beneficial cooperation will continue, the Russian foreign ministry said.