LOC23:06
20:06 GMT
MOSCOW, Feb 19 (KUNA) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held talks Monday with visiting Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif over bilateral ties and developments in the Middle East, particularly Syria.
"Today's meeting is a good chance to continue discussing issues on the regional agenda, including the situation with the implementation of the JCPOA, joint efforts towards the settlement of the Syrian conflict, and of course Caspian cooperation issues," Lavrov told Zarif in the opening remarks at the talks, according to a briefing from the Russian Foreign Ministry.
It added that the meeting also tackled mutual cooperation in various domains and the developments in other Middle East and North African countries.
For his part, the Iranian minister conveyed to his Russian opposite number Tehran's concerns about the United States "illegitimate presence in Syria.
"Developments in Syria, including the United States' illegitimate presence, are causing serious concerns.
"We hope to continue dialogue with you about that to strengthen the major agreements we (Russia, Iran and Turkey) reached on ways towards political settlement," Zarif told Lavrov.
He noted that it is his 22nd visit to Russia.
"It demonstrates the depth of strategic relations between Iran and Russia, which have been playing a very important role in maintaining security and stability in our region," he concluded. (end)
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