Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday called for Iran to\nbe included in a regional security system in the Gulf area.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a meeting with students and teaching staff at the Moscow\nState Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), Lavrov said that\nIran\u2019s participation in a Gulf security system would be an important\npractical step towards guaranteeing stability in the region.<\/p>\n
He recalled that more than 20 years ago, Russia proposed that the\nGulf states, including the Arab monarchies and Iran, consider holding\nmeetings to draw up a security concept for the region.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing aware of the complexity of relations between them, we\nproceeded from the assumption that we would facilitate meetings,\ndiscussions about each party\u2019s grievances, and agreements on specific\nsteps to build mutual trust,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe believe such discussions would be easier to hold if the Arab\nLeague, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the five\npermanent members of the UN Security Council were involved at the same\ntime,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Lavrov said the situation began to change after the United States and\nIsrael launched a joint military operation against Tehran in\nFebruary.<\/p>\n
\u201cA few years ago, before the aggression by Israel and the US against\nIran, relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia were normalised thanks to\nChina\u2019s initiative and our active encouragement,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Mecca Agreement as a practical step towards Moscow\u2019s vision<\/p>\n
Lavrov also touched on the Mecca Agreement put forward by Saudi\nArabia, Pakistan and T\u00fcrkiye as a framework \u201cfor collective security and\na defence alliance\u201d.<\/p>\n
He highlighted that the parties promoting the agreement have affirmed\nthat the door remains open to other countries, including those outside\nthe Gulf region.<\/p>\n
\u201cEgypt is often mentioned. I am convinced that if Algeria shows\ninterest, that too would have a positive effect at a certain stage,\u201d\nLavrov said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf such a structure also agrees on provisions regarding how Iran can\nparticipate in this process, in my view that would be the most practical\nstep towards the concept we originally formulated,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Lavrov concluded that Russia would not seek a leading role in the\nprocess.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/russia-urges-irans-inclusion-in-gulf-security-system-1788850504", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }