MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russia reiterates it stance that Iran should be involved in all joint mechanisms to ensure collective security in the Persian Gulf region, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday following a meeting with his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif.
According to the Russian minister, the only way to overcome the accumulated disagreements in the Persian Gulf is through mutually respectful comprehensive dialogue that takes into account the interests and concerns of all sides.
“In this regard, we have drawn attention to our long-standing initiative to ensure collective security in the Persian Gulf region, and, unlike some schemes with confrontational aims or a strongly anti-Iranian sentiment promoted by some states, we are in favor of a constructive unifying agenda and the establishment of mechanisms for a joint response to challenges and threats, involving all countries of the Persian Gulf, Iran and all of its neighbors,” Lavrov said at a joint press conference.
Among other projects to ensure security in the region, the top diplomat recalled The Hormuz Peace Initiative proposed by Tehran, saying it is based on similar principles.
The project, also dubbed the Hormuz Peace Endeavor, was unveiled by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at the 74th UN General Assembly in September 2019 in the wake of the increased number of anonymous attacks on oil tankers in the Hormuz Strait and the Persian Gulf. The initiative aims at forming a UN-backed coalition of regional countries to ensure maritime safety and security.
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