Iran’s Zarif in Moscow for talks on nuclear deal

PanARMENIAN.Net - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has arrived in Moscow to meet with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, to discuss bilateral and regional issues, RFE/RL reports.

"The Russian government has stood with the Islamic republic of Iran during difficult times and we will definitely treat our friends, who stood by us during difficult times, differently, " Zarif told reporters upon arrival in Moscow on September 2.

Zarif, who is leading a delegation that includes Iranian Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian as head of the Iran-Russia economic commission, said he will discuss bilateral ties, regional issues, including Syria and Afghanistan, and the latest developments regarding the 2015 nuclear deal with his Russian counterpart.

The two will discuss the tense situation in the Persian Gulf and the future of the 2015 nuclear deal from which the United States withdrew last year, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on August 28.

Other topics on the agenda include Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen, and broadening “trade and economic cooperation,” Zakharova said.

As one of the five remaining signatories of the 2015 deal -- called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPA) -- under which Tehran agreed to curb its nuclear activities in exchange for an easing of sanctions, Moscow has urged restraint between the United States and Iran.

After pulling out of the agreement, U.S. President Donald Trump reimposed crippling sanctions on Iran that target its lucrative oil industry and the financial sector. He has called for an international maritime patrol to be sent to waters near Iran to safeguard passage for ships.

Zarif in 2015 was Iran's chief negotiator for the JCPOA.