It is expected that the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, will visit the Russian Federation in October to take part in BRICS summit in Kazan. It will be his first visit to Russia as president. During this visit, he will meet and talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
– Honourable Mr. Ambassador, the newly-elected President of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian has called Russia a friend and said that Russia is a valuable strategic ally of your country. Many political scientists are saying that both Russia and Iran will be able to overcome the growing pressure of sanctions. In your opinion, to what degree can joint projects, which are realised in such difficult conditions, bring Moscow and Tehran closer?
– As a result of the recent presidential elections in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian became the new president. However, a change in the Government does not equate to a change in our foreign policy. The foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran is based on principles, the most important of which is development of cooperation and strengthening relations with neighbours and countries of the region – countries that helped us during harsh times, and the Supreme Leader highlighted this at Mr. Pezeshkian’s inauguration ceremony. Mr. Pezeshkian and our new Foreign Minister emphasize exactly this policy. In this context, the Russian Federation is our old friend and one of our neighbouring countries, and expanding relations with Russia is a priority for us.
It’s true that both our countries are under unilateral and illegal sanctions from the U.S. and European countries, but the sanctions do not have such significance as they once had. In reality, sanctions are an illegal weapon of the West against sovereign countries. The West has been using this weapon so often that it has lost its previous influence. After four decades of sanctions, of which the last 20 years have been particularly difficult, the Islamic Republic of Iran has solved this problem and has found its own way of development, freeing itself from their influence.
We believe that Russia will also overcome this problem and that the days will come when the Western restrictive measures against Russia will have no effect. The key to success lies in relying on internal capabilities, as well as on the assistance of friendly countries. In reality, withstanding sanctions is one of the components of building a fair world and overcoming Western unilateralism on the path to multilateralism. We are up ahead on this path. If you compare today’s world with the past two decades regarding the U.S. and U.S.-related international institutions from the point of view of de-dollarisation and Western globalization, then you will see a gradual, but a very important change. The day when Western sanctions will become ineffective is near, and this process is irreversible.
We in the Government of Mr. Pezeshkian will continue on this path even more powerfully than previously. It has been decided that the newly-elected President will visit the Russian Federation in October of this year to participate in the BRICS summit in Kazan. During this visit, the President of Iran will meet with Mr. Putin. We are confident that this meeting will open a new stage in raising the level of cooperation between our countries and promoting it.
– During the recent visit of the Secretary of the Russian Security Council, Sergey Shoigu, to Tehran and his meeting with Iran’s top officials, it was declared that at the end of July Moscow and Tehran completed preparations for a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement. The document is planned to be signed at the Kazan BRICS summit. Do you expect qualitative changes in the development of relations between our countries?
– As you know, our new president, Mr. Pezeshkian, called the development of relations with Russia as a strategic partner one of the priorities of the Islamic Republic’s foreign policy. He also named Russia as one of the countries which stood by and supported the people of Iran during difficult times, once again mentioning the necessity to develop and strengthen these relations. Thus, our common approach within the cooperation between Iran and Russia may be the best strategy in building relations with some Western countries, including the U.S., for, amongst other things, solving global problems and forming a fair and multipolar world order, increasing the levels of stability and international security, as well as strengthening peace and justice.
You have mentioned that the document will be signed in Kazan, but such a decision is not yet final; the Russian side – both during a meeting with me and at the meeting between the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Mr. Ahmadian, and with the Russian President, Mr. Putin – has underlined that this extensive agreement should be signed during a bilateral visit.
– This year, the Islamic Republic of Iran is celebrating its 45th anniversary. Today the economy of your country is ranked 17th in the world, Iran continues to have importance in the region and in global politics and its influence on regional and international relations is significant. What are the main challenges it faces?
– It goes without saying that, the Western sanctions against Iran and Russia are an instrument of economic pressure. In principle, the countries of the ‘almighty system’ created such international institutions with exactly this goal and intention. Iran and Russia understand very well that even with a relative improvement of their relations with the West, the sanctions will not be lifted. One of the ways of counteracting sanctions is developing one’s own production capacity and stimulating the national economy. Such an important task is impossible without support from the people and the country’s elite.
We should also share these mechanisms with friendly and likeminded countries to achieve synergy and alleviate the pressure of sanctions as soon as possible.
Considering this approach, there are very important projects in Iranian-Russian relations today, the commissioning of which we see one after another. For example, in financial and banking cooperation, in industry, science, energy and so forth. Gradually and at the right time, we will inform the media about each of these projects.
– During a recent telephone conversation, Presidents Vladimir Putin and Maksud Pezeshkian agreed to further coordinate the actions of Russia and Iran on international platforms, including BRICS, of which Iran became a member this year. What does Iran expect from BRICS membership, and how does it intend to work with new partners in a strategic and long-term partnership?
– Focusing on the Asian region and taking an active initiative in partnership with beneficial regional coalitions such as BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Eurasian Economic Union is the foreign policy strategy of the Islamic Republic of Iran that will remain sustainable even with a change in government.
The new government is pursuing a comprehensive, active and effective foreign policy. Mr. Pezeshkian’s government foreign policy seeks to create a balance in relations with all countries on the basis of national interests, economic development and the pursuit of global and regional peace and security.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has always advocated for the formation of a just world, free from the dominance of one country in the world, and the ideals that BRICS strives for. Therefore, we see a great commonality of the goals and approaches of BRICS countries with the policy of our republic.
Over the past years, Iran has carried out large-scale cooperation with all BRICS participants, especially with the old members of the association. Everyone knows the level of Iranian-Russian relations. We likewise signed a long-term cooperation agreement with the People’s Republic of China. The Republic of India is one of our important partners in such areas as trade, energy and transport, and there are deep cultural ties between the two countries. South Africa and Brazil are also among Iran’s most important partners in Africa and South America. From this point of view, our participation in BRICS will strengthen and accelerate existing cooperation and help find new areas for interaction within the framework of the large and diverse group of BRICS countries.
Since the very beginning of joining BRICS, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been an active partner in all areas of the association’s interests, and this partnership will continue. Cooperation within the framework of BRICS in the scientific and technological fields has contributed to significant progress in knowledge-intensive and industrial fields. Iran can become a link connecting important BRICS countries with each other. Strengthening the North-South international transport corridor will connect BRICS countries much more easily than before.
Monetary and financial cooperation to weaken the influence and dominance of the U.S. in the global financial system is a subject of attention for both Iran and BRICS countries.
BRICS member states have exceptional potential in the field of tourism, and this area can also become an important aspect of cooperation between BRICS countries.
– Today, the whole world is anxiously following the development of the Iranian-Israeli confrontation. The Iranian leadership has questioned the existence of an ‘Israeli regime’ in the event of a new strike by the Jewish state on the territory of the republic. Is the era of strategic patience over? How can the situation be prevented from escalating further?
– Iran’s strategic patience should be considered in conjunction with the concept of deterrence. In the sense that if the Islamic Republic of Iran refrains from expanding the theatre of military operations in the region, which entered a new stage with the barbaric aggression of the Zionist regime in the Gaza Strip in October, 2023, then such abstinence and/or policy of strategic patience should not mean ignoring the doctrine of containment of the Islamic Republic of Iran. This is a question that must be linked with a crushing response as part of the combined attacks on Zionist military targets in the occupied territories and in response to the attack on the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Damascus.
Thus, while adhering to the concept of strategic patience and taking into account the policy of deterrence, the Islamic Republic of Iran will at its own discretion, at the right time and in the right place respond to any actions that violate the sovereignty or territorial integrity of our state by any player.
To prevent the escalation and deterioration of the situation in the region, it is necessary to recall the basic responsibilities of the United Nations Security Council to preserve peace and ensure international security, as well as the reaction of all members of the world community to the violation by the Israeli regime of the norms and rules of international law and to emphasise that preventing an escalation of the crisis and creating stability is the responsibility and task for all states and international organisations. All countries, as members of the world community, without any policy and/or pressure from the U.S. and some of its allies, must fulfil their inalienable obligations regarding the continuous crimes of the Zionists, including war crimes and genocide in occupied Palestine.
– You have recently attended a presentation of IbnSina’s two-volume ‘Book of Healing’ (translated), with notes and an afterword by Tawfiq Ibrahim, that took place at the Oriental Cultural Centre of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. To what extent was this event significant for the cultural agenda of our two countries? And how is cultural cooperation between Russia and Iran developing in general?
– In order to comprehensively improve the level of relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation, culture is of particular importance. Being one of the main foundations of our relations with Russia, it helps to strengthen relations in other areas. Holding or participating in cultural events and establishing links between cultural figures and creative ensembles of the two countries is the task of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation, as this leads to greater knowledge of the peoples of our countries about each other.
Cultural events attended by representatives of various fields of science, culture and art of Iran, similar to those held at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, as well as support for writers, translators, artists, teachers of the Persian language and literature, have long been on our agenda.
Cultural cooperation between the two great states and major civilizations – Iran and Russia – has always been among the priorities of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Our states share a common cultural and civilizational heritage, their interaction has expanded in recent years and now the two countries are ready to create an atmosphere of close cooperation in this sphere.
The good relations of the Cultural Representation at the Iranian Embassy in Moscow with Russian organisations, cultural figures and relevant centres have led to positive changes in this area, for example the Week of Iranian Culture in Tatarstan last year in cooperation of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, days of culture and art of Iran at the Margarita Rudomino All-Russian State Library of Foreign Literature, a special exhibition ‘Patterns of Friendship’ [«Узоры дружбы»], which presented the works of painters of the two countries in cooperation of the Academy of Watercolour and Fine Arts in Moscow, the participation of artists of the two countries in each other’s cultural events in the field of cinematography, music, theatre, hand applied arts and handicrafts, assistance to the two countries’ media in making great connections. Many cultural projects are planned to be implemented in the coming period.
– And at the end of the conversation: the traditional question of our journal. What do you like most about Russia? What has made its way into your heart?
– Russia is a country with a rich history and exceptional literature. Of course, we Iranians, being a nation interested in poetry and literature, cannot just pass by such great writers as Dostoevsky, Tolstoy and Chekhov. The works of the classics of Russian literature, without a doubt, occupy a special place in the souls of readers, and I am no exception to this rule.
– Your Excellency, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for this interesting, relevant and sincere conversation. We wish our countries peace, growth and prosperity!
Interview conducted by Yulia NOVITSKAYA, writer, correspondent of “New Eastern Outlook”
