Russian President Vladimir Putin is in Iran for his second foreign trip since he launched the invasion of Ukraine in February.
Putin is holding meetings with Iran’s president and supreme leader, as well as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Grain exports, Syria and the Ukraine conflict are on the agenda.
The visit is a chance to deepen ties with Iran, one of Russia’s few remaining international allies.
It follows allegations by US officials last week that Tehran was planning to supply Russia with hundreds of drones for its war in Ukraine. On Tuesday, the Russian energy giant Gazprom signed a new development deal worth $40m (£33m) with Iran’s state oil company.
Following his meeting with Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi, Putin said relations between the two countries were “developing at a good pace”.
Putin said the two countries are strengthening ties on areas such as international security, trade and “the settlement of the Syria crisis”.Invading your neighbour, a sovereign independent country, tends to lose you friends.
And Russia’s lost plenty after invading Ukraine. In the West Moscow has achieved pariah status.
But the Kremlin is keen to show that international sanctions have failed to isolate Russia, the world’s largest country, and that some of its friends are sticking around. Like Turkey and Iran.
Russia will use the three-way summit on Syria to try to demonstrate it retains powerful allies and geo-political influence.
But we’re not talking about our BFF (Best Friends Forever). Turkey and Iran are also Russia’s rivals. Turkey and Russia are on opposing sides in Syria and in Libya; they are competing for influence in the South Caucasus; Turkish combat drones have been supporting the Ukrainian military. As for Iran, it’s competing with Russia in global energy markets.
True, Russia, Turkey and Iran do have some common interests. But that is no guarantee of long-lasting friendship. BBC
Contact: 08104946237
No comments:
Post a Comment