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Russia Ready to Develop CIS+Iran Format — Foreign Ministry
Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin told TASS that Moscow supports Iranian President Pezeshkian's initiative for cooperation with the Commonwealth.
Moscow is ready to develop the "CIS+Iran" format jointly with interested partners, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin said in an interview with TASS.
According to him, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian became the first Iranian leader invited to a meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of State, which took place on October 9 in Turkmenistan. The Russian side "was among the first to support this proposal by the Turkmen side."
Pankin said that the idea of creating a "CIS+1" format, voiced by Pezeshkian, has generated significant interest in Moscow and, as far as can be judged, in the capitals of other Commonwealth states as well as in expert circles. He added that the Russian side is ready to work on this initiative with partners.
At the same time, he clarified that it is "premature" to speak about expanding the CIS membership, since the existing mechanisms of the CIS+ format "currently provide sufficient opportunities for establishing cooperation and implementing joint projects."
Sources — how we know this
- PrimaryTASS English