Iran's Pezeshkian Urges Multipolar Order in Talks with Putin

President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tuesday that countries in the Middle East can resolve their own problems without the United States, as he met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on the sidelines of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum summit.

Pezeshkian thanked Putin for Russian hospitality and for Moscow's political and economic support for Iran. "I am always glad to be here in Moscow," he said, according to kremlin.ru. Pezeshkian said Iran and Russia's growing trade cooperation shows the need for a multipolar world. He said it became clear to everyone that countries must work toward such a system after the United States took aggressive steps in the region. "A multipolar world is useful to all of us," he said, adding that it allows Iran to work with Russia and other countries that want to remain independent and free. He said countries in the region can work on all their problems without the US and should not count on American assistance, particularly those in the region that believe otherwise. "This is truly not so," he said.

Pezeshkian said Iran and Russia can help each other in science, economics, culture, humanitarian affairs and security. He noted that Iran held cultural events of its own in Moscow and Astrakhan, and said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recently visited Tehran and reported on the progress of bilateral cooperation. The Iranian president said Russian colleagues had asked for a Russian culture festival in Tehran and for permission to open a bureau of Russian media there. He said he had instructed officials to move quickly, and that the response was positive. All issues related to opening a Tehran bureau for Russia's state broadcaster VGTRK have been resolved, he said, and only routine work remains. Iran is ready to host Russian cultural figures for the festival and would be glad to receive them, he said.

Putin: Region Is Cause for Concern

Putin opened the talks by saying he was pleased to meet Pezeshkian again, this time on the sidelines of the gas forum. He said the summit had been productive and that the many bilateral meetings among leaders were also useful. He said he and Pezeshkian had just discussed the regional situation one-on-one. "Of course, this cannot but cause concern, and not only in us, but first of all, as a country that works closely with Iran," Putin said. He described the two countries as neighbors with many shared interests and said Russia hopes events will develop positively. Putin said Russia is fulfilling all its commitments in joint projects. He said Russian-Iranian trade turnover rose 10.4% in the first eight months of this year, and that construction continues on the Bushehr nuclear power plant. He said the countries also cooperate in the humanitarian sphere, with the number of Iranian students at Russian universities approaching 10,000. A series of Iranian culture festival events took place in Moscow, Kazan and Astrakhan in late September and early October, he said. Putin said Russia is always glad to see Pezeshkian in Moscow and to discuss current issues and the bilateral agenda.

Pezeshkian and Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, also met Tuesday on the sidelines of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum summit in Russia to discuss ways to expand bilateral relations and strengthen energy cooperation, the Iranian government's news service reported. The two leaders reviewed the latest state of ties between Tehran and Doha and stressed the importance of broadening political and economic relations and using existing capacities to raise the level of cooperation, the report said. Energy cooperation, expanded economic and trade exchanges, and stronger coordination among gas-exporting countries were among the topics discussed. The meeting took place at the forum's 8th summit of heads of state and government.

On the other hand, Iran's acting oil minister and Qatar's energy minister met in Moscow on Tuesday to discuss strengthening bilateral energy cooperation and expanding their presence in gas markets. Hamid Bovard met Saad bin Sherida al-Kaabi on the sidelines of the eighth summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, known as GECF. The two discussed developing Iran-Qatar energy ties. Bovard highlighted Iran's strategic proposals for the GECF and urged effective cooperation among its members, especially major gas producers and exporters, to strengthen convergence and expand bilateral and multilateral talks. Bovard previously met al-Kaabi in Doha, where he also stressed expanding energy relations between the two countries. Bovard traveled to Moscow to attend the forum's 28th ministerial meeting and to accompany President Masoud Pezeshkian at the summit. He said energy security is inseparably tied to peace, regional stability, the security of critical infrastructure and respect for national sovereignty. He said U.S. military actions and unilateral economic sanctions have not only harmed the legitimate interests of the Iranian people but also hurt investment security and the predictability of global energy markets.

The summit brings together leaders of member countries and senior representatives. It offers an opportunity to review strategic issues in the gas industry and strengthen cooperation among gas producers and exporters. The forum's summits and ministerial meetings are held to exchange views on gas market developments, the supply and demand outlook, energy security and the place of natural gas in the global energy mix. The GECF has 12 full members: Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela. Angola, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Malaysia, Mauritania, Mozambique, Peru and Senegal are observers. Together, GECF members hold about 70% of the world's proven natural gas reserves, 38% of commercial gas production and 42% of global gas exports. They account for about 47% of liquefied natural gas exports. - Shana