From the Russian side, the meeting was also attended by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov and Chief of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation – Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Igor Kostyukov. From the Iranian side, attendees included Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Iran to Russia Kazem Jalali and Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi.
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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Minister,
I am happy to see you. Good afternoon, and welcome.
You are visiting Russia during a challenging period, marked by a significant escalation of tensions both in the region and surrounding your country.
Russia’s position on the current developments is well known. It has been clearly expressed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is reflected in the stance we’ve taken at the United Nations Security Council, with which you are already familiar.
The completely unprovoked act of aggression against Iran is without foundation or justification. Russia has long-standing, strong, and trustworthy relations with Iran, and we are committed to supporting the Iranian people through our continued efforts.
As you know, I have recently held telephone conversations with President of the United States Donald Trump; Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu; President of the United Arab Emirates Mohammed Al Nahyan; and President of your country, Masoud Pezeshkian. I am also aware that you have just had meetings with foreign ministers in Europe.
I am very pleased to welcome you to Moscow today. Your visit provides us with an important opportunity to discuss these sensitive issues in depth and to explore ways we might work together to navigate the current situation.
Please extend my warm regards and best wishes to both President Masoud Pezeshkian and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Foreign Minister of Iran Abbas Araghchi (retranslated): Mr President,
I am pleased to have the opportunity to meet with you today.
As you rightly noted, this meeting is taking place at a time when the crises and challenges in our region are continuing to deepen.
As you mentioned, we share close and friendly relations, and in recent years, our bilateral ties have taken on a strategic character. We maintain regular consultations with our Russian colleagues on a wide range of global security issues.
In the field of Iran’s nuclear programme, the Russian Federation has been a valuable partner, building the Bushehr nuclear power plant and supporting us in this area, including in the context of reaching nuclear agreements. Russia has played a constructive role in helping us secure important understandings.
However, as you are well aware, the level of escalation continues to grow by the day. Unfortunately, we have come under attack – not only from Israel, but also from the United States, which has chosen to strike our facilities.
These acts of aggression by Israel and the US are entirely illegitimate and in violation of international law and established norms. We are now defending our sovereignty and our country, and our defence is fully legitimate.
We are grateful to our Russian colleagues and friends for their principled stance and for their resolute condemnation of these acts of aggression. Today, Russia stands on the right side of history and of international law.
The Supreme Leader and President Pezeshkian have also asked me to convey their warmest regards to you.
I hope we will have the opportunity today to discuss the full range of issues related to these developments.
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