Iran has strategic partnership with Russia in Syria: Senior Iranian official
Iranian Foreign Minister’s close aide Hossein Jaberi Ansari said in an interview to Press TV on October 10 that Iran has strategic partnership with Russia in Syria, based on specific mutual interests, and it will not let its independence dented in any form.
Ansari said, “Russia is not our strategic ally; neither are we Russia’s strategic ally, in the sense that was very popular particularly in the bipolar era [of international politics], in the era of blocs and great […] alliances”.
He said, “We don’t have a strategic alliance with Russia, but we have strategic partnership [with it], in specific projects, based on specific mutual interests — and in spite of the differences we have [with Moscow] — and we can continue to have [such partnership] in the future, too”.
Jaberi Ansari said, “Neither in its relations with Russia, nor in its relations with any other power will Iran step toward violating its own national independence”.
PRESS TV EXCLUSIVE; #Iran says has ‘strategic partnership’ with Russia in Syria https://t.co/AGHtuqw5Bf pic.twitter.com/mjgbjwjvjT
— Press TV (@PressTV) October 22, 2018
Ansari said that Russia is Iran’s globally powerful neighbor and mentioned the factors that govern the good relations between the two countries.
He said, “Russia is our neighbor to the north, [and] Russia is a large neighbor and a global power. These are facts… As such, the same rule that governs our relations with all our neighbors applies to Russia all the more”.
He added, “No [Iranian] administration or politician can afford not to insert into its/his calculations the fact that Russia is our globally powerful neighbor”.
Russia and Iran are main allies of President Bashar Al Assad of Syria in seven years long civil war in Syria. Syrian forces have regained the control of over 95 percent of Syrian territory from rebels with the help of Russia and Iran after Russia entered in the war in 2015.
Hossein Jaberi Ansari is senior assistant to the foreign minister of Iran and has been working with Russia and Turkey in the in peace process for Syria.
