Russia Expects Positive News on Iran Settlement, Hopes for Diplomatic Resumption - Lavrov

MOSCOW, April 21. /TASS/. The Russian side expects positive news regarding the settlement of the situation around Iran and hopes for the resumption of diplomatic efforts in this direction, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated in his opening speech during talks with acting Libyan Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Taher al-Baour. "We are paying special attention at this stage to the crisis in the Persian Gulf zone, a crisis that resulted from the unprovoked aggression of the United States and Israel against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Both Russia and Libya advocate for the swiftest cessation of any recurrence of the use of force, for the establishment of a sustainable political and diplomatic process. We hope that the information coming in at this very moment will be positive in terms of the resumption of diplomatic efforts, because only in this way can existing disagreements be resolved while ensuring the interests of all, I repeat, every single one of the the states in the region, including our Arab friends in the Gulf," Lavrov stressed. The top Russian diplomat confirmed Russia is ready to facilitate the normalization of relations between the Arab monarchies of the Gulf and Iran. "For several years now, we have been working to mobilize academia and political science circles to formulate a security concept for the Persian Gulf. And it is our belief that the recent events involving the attack on Iran and its devastating consequences for the coastal Arab states all dictate the relevance and even the urgency of additional efforts towards the normalization of relations between the Gulf's coastal states," he emphasized. Lavrov also added that Libya and Russia share common assessments of what is happening in the world, including in the Middle Eastern and North African regions.