Valdai Club

Over the year since the last Russian-Iranian dialogue, the context of the world order has changed significantly, and this pushes Russia and Iran to cooperate on specific issues, Fyodor Lukyanov, Research director of the Valdai Discussion Club, said in an interview to valdaiclub.com on the results of the Russian-Iranian dialogue, which was held in Tehran on April 9. According to him, the two countries need to act jointly to construct the new world system, which is inevitably to arise, since the old one is shattered completely.

Cooperation between Moscow, Tehran, and Ankara on Syria has resulted in political and security achievements, but while Russia and Iran are the fixed sides of this triangle, Turkey is unstable and unreliable for strategic affairs, believes Mohammad Reza Sheibani, former Iranian Ambassador to Syria.

One of main challenges facing Iran and Russia is the constant US pressure on both sides. In the Iranian society there is a big concern about the future of JCPOA, said Davud Kiani, Deputy Head of the Institute for Iranian and Eurasian Studies (IRAS), on the sidelines of the Russian-Iranian dialogue.

The trilateral cooperation between Iran, Russia and Turkey is one of the important elements of cooperation that may help the stability and security of our region, said Alireza Bikdeli, Senior Research Fellow, Former Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Turkey, in an interview with www.valdaiclub.com.

“Russia, Iran, and Turkey should remain together in helping Syria to free and rebuild herself, or accept the repercussions of Syria falling in the hands of Saudi Arabia and the United States,” Mahmoud Reza Sadjadi, Iranian Ambassador to Russia in 2009-2013, told valdaiclub.com on the sidelines of the Russian-Iranian Dialogue in Tehran.

The Russian-Iranian dialogue is a good opportunity to establish a new atmosphere and exchange views between academicians and university experts, politicians and intellectuals. I can say, that this is a very good event for further development of relations between Iran and Russia.

Although the international media had mostly focused on the Syrian angle of the two days of diplomatic activities in the Turkish capital, it could be said that the meetings – both the bilateral and trilateral ones – had many things to say about the nature and direction of Russia’s relations with Iran and Turkey.

The history of sanctions against Iran deserves close analysis in light of the growing sanctions pressure on Russia. Iran’s experience is meaningful if only because both countries have to contend with US sanction law.

Current relations between the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran are characterized by increased activity and dynamism, as well as expanded political, diplomatic, economic, cultural, public and other ties. All this makes perfect sense.