Russia Voices Respect for Iran’s Sovereignty after Row about Statement on Trio Islands
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Mikhail Bogdanov reaffirmed his country’s respect for Iran’s territorial integrity after a joint statement from several Arab countries and Russia about three Iranian Persian Gulf islands caused resentment in Tehran.
In a meeting with Iran’s ambassador to Moscow, Bogdanov underlined that respect for Iran’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity constitutes a basic principle of Russia’s foreign policy.
Highlighting the friendly relations between Moscow and Tehran, Bogdanov also noted that Russia avoids interference in the internal affairs of other nations.
For his part, Iranian Ambassador Kazem Jalali pointed to Iran’s inalienable and historical sovereignty over Abu Musa, the Greater Tunb, and the Lesser Tunb.
He said Iran expects Russia to prevent the enemies of the close relations between Tehran and Moscow from abusing such rooms for the disruption of ties.
In the final statement of the 6th Arab-Russian Cooperation Forum, held in the southern Moroccan city of Marrakech on December 20, the participants supported peaceful solutions and initiatives to resolve what they called the conflict on the three islands through bilateral negotiations or the International Court of Justice.
The Foreign Ministry of Iran has condemned the “baseless contents” of the statement, saying those three islands are an inseparable part of Iran’s national territory and will belong to Iran forever.
