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Conflict in Syria

Iranian official: Resolving crisis in Syria in interests of Russia and Iran

Russia and Iran have common strategic interests and common threats, the Iranian Embassy in Moscow quoted Iran’s Supreme Leader’s top adviser on international affairs, Ali Akbar Velayati

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Russia’s Security Council chief discusses military cooperation, Syria with Iranian envoy

MOSCOW, February 2. /TASS/. Moscow and Tehran have common strategic interests, and the soonest resolution of the Syrian crisis is one of them, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s top adviser on international affairs, Ali Akbar Velayati, said on Tuesday.

Earlier today Velayati held a meeting with Russian State Duma’s International Affairs Committee chairman Alexey Pushkov. "Russia and Iran have common strategic interests and common threats," the Iranian Embassy in Moscow quoted Velayati as saying. "One of the examples of common interests of Iran and Russia is resolving the Syrian crisis. Success in this sphere is vitally important and will be able to ensure territorial integrity of countries in the region, such as Iraq and Turkey, as well as stability in the region," the Iranian leader’s adviser added.

He noted that bilateral cooperation between Tehran and Moscow may play an important role in preventing extremism from spreading to Central Asia and East China. "We cannot imagine any other kind of relations between Iran and Russia apart from long-term strategic interests," he added.

Velayati, who also heads the Center for Strategic Research, is visiting Moscow on the invitation of Russian Strategic Research Institute’s director Leonid Reshetnikov.

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