Home > Iran, Russia ink strategic security pact
Iran, Russia ink strategic security pact
Fri Nov 11, 2011 8:32AM GMT
Deputy Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Baqeri
Iran and Russia have finalized a strategic security agreement aimed at further enhancing ties between the two countries.
The agreement was signed on Friday by Deputy Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Baqeri and his Russian counterpart Yevgeny Lukyanov.
“This document incorporates various aspects of collaboration between the national security councils of Iran and Russia in different security, economic, political and intelligence sectors,” Baqeri told IRNA.
The agreement establishes the framework of the mutual cooperation in terms of its structure and content, he added.
Baqeri’s visit to Moscow takes place upon the invitation of Russian officials and in line with regular consultations between the two countries.
During the Iranian mission’s visit to Moscow, the two sides also discussed the latest developments in the Middle East, Iran’s peaceful nuclear program and the position of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on the case as well as Russia’s ’step-by-step’ strategy on Iran’s nuclear case, Baqeri pointed out.
The latest report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Iran’s peaceful nuclear program has accused the country of conducting non-civilian nuclear activities.
Iran dismissed the report as "unbalanced, unprofessional and prepared with political motivation and under political pressure by mostly the United States."
On July 13, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov suggested a "step-by-step" approach toward Iran’s nuclear program that would enable Iranian authorities to take steps to address questions raised by the IAEA on its case.
Under the proposed plan, Iran would revive negotiations to alleviate individual concerns of the IAEA about its nuclear activities and be rewarded along the way by the partial removal of sanctions.
The approach would start out with the easiest questions and move onto more complicated ones that would require a longer time to respond to, according to the Russian official.
ASH/GHN/MB