Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, arrived in Moscow Wednesday to deliver two messages to President Vladimir Putin.
Velayati shrugged off the concurrent trip to Russia by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu whose government is involved in a spate of illegal moves against the defenseless Palestinians including the killing of innocent civilians and the construction of Jewish settlements on stolen Palestinian lands.
Speaking to reporters on arrival in Moscow Velayati pointed to Netanyahu’s planned visit to Russia and said, “He makes baseless and illogical remarks and nobody cares about his words.”
“Therefore, his presence or absence in Russia has no effect on our strategic mission.”
Netanyahu is to meet Putin on Wednesday. Calling the meeting “very important,” Netanyahu told journalists, “We will discuss Syria, we will discuss Iran, we will discuss Israel’s security needs.”
According to Tasnim News Agency, Velayati, a former foreign minister, will likely hold talks with the Kremlin leader on Thursday.
***Clarifying Stance
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying by state television on Tuesday that "Mr. Velayati will carry a message from the Leader of the Islamic Revolution and the president to the Russian president,"
The visit is part of efforts to clarify Tehran's stance after US President Donald Trump pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal in May, he said. "JCPOA and the US withdrawal from the international agreement will feature high in talks Mr. Velayati and the accompanying delegation will hold in Moscow."
He said Russia, as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, contributed greatly to the conclusion of the 2015 accord, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
Bilateral political and economic ties as well as regional developments will also be discussed, Qasemi noted.
He added that the Leader's advisor will also travel to China in the future following a decision to send special representatives to other countries to discuss the nuclear issue and its future.
*** Valuable Ally
Russia's ambassador in Tehran, Levan Dzhagaryan, on Tuesday hailed the strong relationship between the two countries, calling Iran a "valuable ally".
"Tehran has always had a significant and special place in Moscow's foreign policy," he said at a meeting with Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the Majlis speaker's special advisor on international affairs, IRNA reported.
The ambassador said cordial reciprocal ties are in the interest of regional and international peace and stability and help keep US unilateralism in check.
"The close cooperation between the two countries in defusing the crisis in Syria is an important example that can contribute to the restoration of stability in the region and counter warmongering policies. It is of special significance," Dzhagaryan noted.
*** Growing Ties
Amir-Abdollahian said the volume of bilateral trade is proof of strong and growing ties between the two neighbors.
The campaign against terrorism in war-ravaged Syria has yielded positive results, he noted, adding that a political solution should be found to end the three-year conflict in Yemen.
The official said Iran will continue its efforts to help promote peace and security in the region despite US pressures, which is aimed at deflecting the world's attention away from its failed policies and controversial decisions in the Middle East.
***Iran’s Role in Syria
Separately, Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu welcomed the roles being played by Iran and Turkey in Syria.
“Iran, along with Turkey, has historically been one of the main actors in the region and plays a key role in stabilization of the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic,” Shoigu said in an interview with Italy’s Il Giornale newspaper published on Wednesday.
Shoigu also cast doubt on the sincerity of US military presence in Syria and added, “Affirming its noble objectives and good will”, the United States has not allocated one cent toward helping Syrian civilians devastated by the protracted conflict” in their country.
Iran provides military advisory assistance to the Syrian military in their fight against terrorists. Turkey also maintains an intermediary role on behalf of the Syrian opposition in talks with the Damascus government.
Damascus, however, has objected to a Turkish military presence in northern Syria, calling it aggression.
