PNN – The Russian Foreign Minister stated that Moscow views Iran’s joining of the “Mecca Agreement” as a step in the right direction.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network citing Interfax; Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced on Monday that Moscow would regard Iran’s accession to the “Mecca Agreement” (involving Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia) as a step in the right direction.
The Russian Foreign Minister added: I am confident that if Algeria also expresses interest, it would have a positive impact. I believe that if such a mechanism eventually reaches an agreement on the terms of Iran’s participation in this process, this move would represent the most practical step along the very path we envisioned when formulating our own plan.
Sergei Lavrov then added: We make no claims to primacy or superiority; this initiative can be called whatever one wishes. However, certain trends are emerging; people are gradually realizing that since we live side by side, we should not pose threats to one another. Unfortunately, not everyone in the United States is prepared to support this trend, and Israel openly opposes it, believing that nothing good will happen until Iran is crushed. I believe that, in time, the situation will resolve itself.
He then added: The United States is dissuading Russia’s close partners from trading with Moscow in order to divert any economic opportunities toward itself. The level of relations that existed between Russia and the West prior to February 2022 will never be restored. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has been completely discredited, and its deterrent mechanisms have lost their substance. Eurasian security architecture will not take shape overnight, but the end result will be the establishment of a stable, secure, and long-term architecture.
The Russian Foreign Minister further added that the process of diversifying Russian energy exports toward the East is proceeding rapidly; Europe is harming itself by turning away from Russian energy. Russia has no objection to using the dollar in financial transactions, but if its use becomes impossible, Moscow will prioritize its own interests.