Baghaei: Bilateral document between Iran, Russia to expand relations in various fields

ISNA - Esmail Baghaei, the spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, at the beginning of his weekly press conference on Monday, commemorated the martyr Lieutenant General Hajj Qassem Soleimani.

While commemorating the arrival of the "Martyr's Day" in Palestine, he said: Unfortunately, the crimes and genocides of the Zionist regime continue, and the cold and bad weather have made the conditions of the heroic people of Gaza even more difficult.

Baghaei also said in the presser: The tenth meeting of foreign economic relations is being held today at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, chaired by Mohammad Reza Aref, First Vice President of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Bilateral document between Iran and Russia to expand relations in various fields

In response to a question about the signing of the Comprehensive Cooperation Agreement between Iran and Russia in late January in the presence of the presidents of the two countries in Moscow, the spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran said: This agreement has various dimensions and includes the economic, trade, energy, environment, defense, security issues, etc.

He added: This document complements the previous document that existed between Iran and Russia and in fact has completed the previous document. This is a bilateral document between Iran and Russia to expand relations in various fields.

Pezeshkian to travel to Eurasia

The spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that "the president's trip to Tajikistan will take place in late January at the invitation of the president of Tajikistan," and said: This is the president's first trip to the Eurasian region. During this trip, important economic, trade and cultural documents will be signed between the officials of the two countries.

Referring to the importance of this trip and relations between Iran and Tajikistan, he said: During this trip, we will witness the opening of one of the Iranian cultural centers in Tajikistan and the opening of the Islamic Republic of Iran Red Crescent Health Center in Tajikistan.

Delegation's visit to Turkey to resolve the fuel problem for Iranian trucks

The spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran also said in response to a question about the fuel problem for Iranian trucks at the Turkish border: The issue is not political, but rather a technical issue, and our transportation and fuel departments are mainly dealing with it.

Stating that the issue has a certain history between the two countries, Baghaei said: Iran and Turkey are trying to resolve this issue with good neighborliness. Detailed talks have been held between the two countries in this regard, and a delegation is scheduled to be sent to Turkey by Iran in this regard soon.

Syria should not become a safe haven for terrorists

The spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran also responded to a question about the recent statements of HTS's leader about Iran, including his statement that Iran is a great country and the latest developments in Iran-Syria relations, saying: It is an obvious matter that Iran is a great country.

Baghaei added: We respect the choice of the Syrian people and their decision.

Referring to the importance of preserving the territorial integrity of Syria, he said: At the same time, we have concerns about Syria that are common among the countries of the region. The Syrian people should be able to decide for their future without foreign, regional and trans-regional interference, and Syria should not become a safe haven for terrorists.

Baghaei also referred to the tweet of Iran's Foreign Minister, Sayyed Abbas Araghchi a few days ago regarding Syria, addressing the Arab League, and said: In this tweet, Mr. Araghchi has presented Iran's positions and views in detail and clearly.

Reasons for Iran's withdrawl from Expo Japan

The Foreign Ministry spokesman also responded to a question about the published analyses about Iran's reasons for withdrawing from Expo Japan, including that Iran withdrew from this issue because the Iranian sign was placed next to the Zionist regime, saying: This analysis is not correct and the pavilions allocated to Iran were not supposed to be next to the Zionist regime.

Referring to the government spokesman's statements about the reasons for Iran's withdrawal from attending Expo Japan, he said: The essence of the matter is the same as what the government spokesman raised, and the decision not to participate was made by the responsible and relevant institution.

Baghaei said: As far as I know, a number of other countries, including South Africa, have also withdrawn from this presence for reasons related to themselves.

He emphasized: As I mentioned, this decision was made by the responsible and relevant institution.

The Iraqi Prime Minister's visit to Iran is a bilateral visit

The spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran also said in response to a question about the Iraqi Prime Minister's visit to Tehran on Wednesday and whether this visit is related to speculations about the dissolution of the Popular Mobilization Forces and the transmission of messages from American and Syrian officials: This is a bilateral visit and the details of this visit will be announced by the President's Office.

He continued: Let me not comment on the speculations and many news stories that are being made.

The spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also said regarding the follow-up of the situation of "Abedini", an Iranian citizen detained in Italy: A number of Iranian nationals are being pursued and extradited in some countries at the request of the United States, which we consider a type of hostage-taking.

He added: The accusation attributed to these citizens is circumventing unilateral US sanctions; An accusation that is essentially baseless.

Baghaei said: Our demand from countries is not to subject their bilateral relations with Iran to the illegal demands of third parties.

Referring to the follow-up of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Iranian Embassy in Italy regarding the situation of this Iranian citizen, he said: Based on the follow-up, consular facilities have been provided to some extent for this Iranian citizen and he can be in contact with his family. Follow-up regarding the situation of this Iranian citizen is still ongoing.

The Foreign Ministry spokesman also said in response to a question that some media outlets consider the arrest of the Italian journalist in Iran to be related to the arrest of "Abedini," an Iranian citizen in Italy, that these two issues have no connection.

He added in this regard: The Ministry of Religious Affairs issued a clear statement regarding the reasons for the arrest of this Italian journalist and announced that he was arrested for violating Iranian laws.

Details of Takht-Ravanchi's trip to India

In response to a question from ISNA's reporter about the recent trip of Majid Takht Ravanchi, the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Politics, to India, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said: Mr. Takht Ravanchi's trip to India was to participate in the 19th Iran-India consultative meetings.

Baghaei clarified: He met and talked with his counterpart and also the Indian Foreign Minister. A range of issues were discussed, and one of the important issues was trade and economic cooperation.

He continued: Discussions related to the development of Chabahar Port and India's participation in completing the Zahedan-Chabahar railway project were among the issues discussed in this meeting. Facilitating visa issuance for Iranians was also pursued in these talks; because there had been disruptions in this regard since the outbreak of the coronavirus, and good decisions were taken in this regard during this trip.

Following up on the execution of 6 Iranians in Saudi Arabia

In response to another question from ISNA's reporter about Iran-Saudi relations after the execution of 6 Iranian citizens in this country and the news about the withdrawal of the Saudi holding company Savola from Iran, the Iranian diplomatic service spokesman said: Just because the developments are happening simultaneously, they should not be given a meaningful political analysis; they simply happened at the same time.

Baghaei clarified: The information we received from the Investment Organization about this company is that no foreign currency was withdrawn and that the shares were transferred from one company to another. This has nothing to do with the consular issue (the execution of 6 Iranians).

He continued: Regarding the consular issue, our consular department immediately took a position at the same time as the issue (the execution of 6 Iranians) was published, and the Saudi ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Ministry and our positions were clearly announced.

Stating that the issue is still being followed up, Baghaei said: Regarding the dispatch of a consular delegation, we are in talks with the Saudi side. We will definitely follow up on the issue within the framework of protecting nationals and providing consular services.

New round of Iran-Europe talks; January 14-15 in Geneva

In response to another question regarding the new round of Iran-Europe talks, Beghaei said: The new round of Iran-Europe talks will be held in Geneva on January 14-15, and this is a continuation of the talks that were held in December.

He added: During these talks, a range of issues, including regional issues, bilateral relations, the nuclear issue, and the lifting of sanctions, will be discussed, and as I said before, these talks are a continuation of a process that was previously agreed upon and are another step in the Iran-Europe talks.

Efforts to expand Iran's relations with Egypt and Bahrain continue

The spokesman for the Islamic Republic of Iran's Foreign Ministry also said in response to another question regarding the latest status of Iran's relations with Bahrain and Egypt and the information published in an Egyptian media outlet that during the meeting between the doctors and the Egyptian president, the two sides agreed to reopen the embassies of the two countries in Tehran and Cairo within the next 6 months: Iran's approach to expanding relations with its neighbors includes all countries in the region.

Baghaei emphasized: Efforts to expand Iran's relations with the two countries of Egypt and Bahrain continue, and this issue is on the agenda of both sides, and we hope that it will come to fruition as soon as possible.

There is no need to react to every narrative

The spokesman for the Islamic Republic of Iran's Foreign Ministry also responded to a question about Bashar al-Assad's chief of staff's announcement in a media statement that Russia had prevented Iran from sending aid to Syria in the days leading up to the fall of Bashar al-Assad in this Arab country, saying: As I emphasized in previous meetings, in this situation, different parties present their own narratives of these developments, and there is no need for us to react to any of these narratives.

The Zionist regime has never been serious in fulfilling its commitments

In response to another question about the continued violation of the ceasefire in Lebanon by the Zionist regime and some reports that the regime does not intend to withdraw from southern Lebanon on time, he said: The history of this regime shows that it has never been serious in fulfilling its commitments, promises and agreements and has violated its commitments whenever it has had the opportunity.

The Foreign Ministry spokesman added: In this matter, the parties that introduced themselves as the guarantors of the ceasefire have a direct and clear responsibility to prevent this regime from repeatedly violating the ceasefire.

Baghaei emphasized: These matters must be seriously pursued by both the relevant parties in the Lebanese government and the parties that were somehow involved and implicated in this process.

News fabrications are designed to incite sedition between regional countries

In response to another question about the statement attributed to the Iranian Foreign Minister regarding the danger of forming an Islamic state in Syria in cyberspace, the Foreign Ministry spokesman said to the questioning reporter: I invite you and other friends to be very careful in taking seriously and republishing news and reports whose nature can be doubted from the very beginning.

He added: Such news is easy to verify, and to verify them, one can refer to the Foreign Minister's previous statements.

Baghaei said: Such news fabrications and the publication of false statements are designed to incite sedition between regional countries, and as a rule, these days, considering the developments in the region, one can guess from what source and origin it is being fabricated and dealt with.

Regarding the threatening statements of White House National Security Advisor "Jacke Sullivan" against Iran, Baghaei also said: This issue has been repeated many times, and from the perspective of international law, the threat of resorting to force is a violation of the United Nations Charter, and since this issue is a threat against a country's peaceful nuclear facilities, it is a violation of international obligations and is considered a threat to international peace and security. The Security Council must intervene in these cases and demand responsibility from the US government for these statements.

He clarified: Put this alongside other recent statements by the Democratic administration against the Islamic Republic of Iran. This issue is a kind of self-discrediting, and Blinken had also spoken a while ago about attempts to intervene in Iran.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman continued: On the other hand, it seems that a government that some Americans themselves have called the most reckless and corrupt in American history is trying to dictate its failed methods and set the agenda for the next American government.

Baghaei emphasized: As far as we are concerned, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Iranian people have shown that they will act decisively in defending national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and dignity.

We are using all capacities to pursue the issue of Iran’s water rights from Afghanistan

Regarding the issue of Iran’s water rights from Afghanistan and the new dams built by Afghanistan on the shared border river between Iran and Afghanistan, he said: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as the custodian of the country’s diplomacy, has pursued the issue of securing Iran’s water rights from border and shared rivers as its permanent agenda. In the case of Afghanistan and Helmand, the history of the issue dates back to the early 1930s. Our protests have been registered and it is an issue that we have continuously and continuously on our agenda.

Baqaei said: We have always said that the waters that flow from Afghanistan to Iran create rights for the parties on both sides of the border. We have an agreement and, in other cases, based on customary law and good neighborliness, we expect the Afghan authorities to seriously consider the issue.

He added: We are using all tools in this regard. Our embassy is active and the chargé d’affaires is pursuing the issue and we are using all capacities to pursue the issue.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman emphasized: We also expect officials of the Afghan caretaker government to seriously consider this issue.

Iran's diplomatic package not inspected in Lebanon

This senior diplomat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran said regarding the inspection of Iranian diplomats and passengers on the Mahan plane during its trip to Lebanon on Thursday: Diplomatic packages are subject to specific legal and international rules and regulations, and after a misunderstanding arose and the Iranian embassy in Lebanon arrived and coordinated with the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the issue was resolved.

He continued: No inspection of the diplomatic package was carried out. Our ambassador explained the whole issue and it was said that this issue was mainly due to some incorrect information and misunderstandings, and we hope that this process will not be repeated.

He emphasized: Our friends at the embassy in Beirut and at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs followed up on the issue in contact with the Lebanese parties, and the follow-up is ongoing.

Iran's goal is to participate in the various stages of examining the UN General Assembly's request to the International Court of Justice

In response to a question about the UN General Assembly's request to the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion on the violation of the Zionist regime's obligations and Iran's position in this regard, the Foreign Ministry Spokesperson said: This advisory opinion is one of several advisory opinions that have been requested from the International Court of Justice regarding the violation of the Zionist regime's obligations, especially during this 15-month period. After the revocation of the license of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), a wave of protest emerged at the international level; because the agency's activities are purely humanitarian and have been helping Palestinian refugees in several countries for decades. Therefore, the international community did not accept this issue from the beginning.

He added: The way that seemed to be the way among a number of countries was to resort to the International Court of Justice. The request for a ruling is for the Court to give its opinion on the nature and quality of the violation of the obligations of the Zionist regime in relation to its obligations to cooperate with international organizations. This request for a ruling was the product of a vote and resolution of the United Nations General Assembly, on which the Islamic Republic of Iran also voted in favor. Our intention is to participate in the various stages of the consideration of this request.

Araghchi's visit to China was very important

The Foreign Ministry spokesman also responded to a question from a Chinese journalist regarding Araghchi's visit to Beijing last week, explaining the consultations held during the trip, saying: The trip to China was a very important trip and the first bilateral trip by the Iranian Foreign Minister outside the region.

He emphasized: During this trip, consultations and discussions were held on the implementation of the 25-year comprehensive cooperation document between Iran and China, as well as the expansion of cooperation between the two countries in the economic and trade fields.

We condemn terrorism by anyone and anywhere

Baghaei also responded to a question about the recent terrorist acts in Pakistan and the killing of Shiites in the country, saying: We condemn terrorism by anyone and anywhere.

Our relationship with Oman is historic and distinguished

This senior diplomat of the Islamic Republic of Iran also stated in this press conference, in response to a question about the content of the message of the Sultan of Oman for doctors, which was presented to the President by the country's Foreign Minister during his visit to Tehran, that: Regarding this visit, the Foreign Minister explained in a joint press conference with the Omani Foreign Minister that this visit focused on issues related to bilateral relations between Iran and Oman and discussions on regional developments.

He added: This is an issue that is always discussed and consulted in our talks with regional countries, especially Oman, given that our relationship is historic and distinguished.