Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani said the spread of security crises and "institutionalization" of violence and extremism in the Middle East make it necessary for the independent countries to play a more "active" role to rectify the situation.
He made the remarks in a meeting with Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, in Moscow on Monday.
Iran's "principled policy" to increase cooperation with Middle Eastern countries in political, economic and security areas has played an important role in helping manage security crises at regional level, he commented.
He denounced "destructive" moves by some western countries and their allies in the region.
He also stressed the necessity of exchanging views between Iran and Russia on important international issues.
Elsewhere, Shamkhani said "excessive demands" and the adoption of "unconstructive" positions by some major powers engaged in nuclear talks with Iran will slow down the process of reaching a comprehensive nuclear agreement.
He praised Russia's "constructive" approach to nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany).
The Russian official thanked Iran for its "effective role" in fighting against terrorism and promoting stability and security in the region.
Patrushev highlighted the importance of regional cooperation to help defuse security crises and establish lasting peace.
Shamkhani was in Moscow to attend the 10th meeting of heads of the national security councils of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states.
