Moscow Ready to Assist US-Iran Agreement, Proposes Gulf Security Concept

UNITED NATIONS, July 2. /TASS/. Moscow is ready to assist efforts to develop a comprehensive and long-term agreement between Iran and the United States, Russia's Acting Permanent Representative to the UN Anna Yevstigneyeva said.

"Russia is open to facilitating the development of a comprehensive, long-term agreement between the US and Iran, as well as engaging on a broader regional scale if there is demand for its assistance," she stated at a UN Security Council meeting on the Middle East. "In this regard, we would like to reiterate Russia’s updated concept of collective security for the Persian Gulf area, which we handed over to our Arab and Iranian partners in late May," the diplomat added.

Yevstigneyeva pointed out that the Russia-drafted document "provides for a phased approach to resolving conflict situations, the principle of common and indivisible security, the development of confidence-building meanders, and steps to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz based on international law." "We hope that the initiative will give impetus to a meaningful discussion of ways to shape the post-conflict architecture of regional relations. We are prepared to continue providing diplomatic support for efforts to stabilize the situation in the Middle East," she concluded.