- Title: RUSSIA-IRAN/LAVROV-ZARIF Iranian FM Zarif visits Moscow to meet Russia's Lavrov
- Date: 4th June 2015
- Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (JUNE 4, 2015) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS EXTERIOR OF VENUE FOR MEETING OF SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANISATION (SCO) COUNCIL OF MINISTERS OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS VARIOUS OF IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER MOHAMMAD JAVAD ZARIF ARRIVING AHEAD OF MEETING AFGHANISTAN FOREIGN MINISTER SALAHUDDIN RABBANI ARRIVING MEDIA RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SE
- Embargoed: 19th June 2015 13:00
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- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA7GYKQRCZND61FH5S37R6T09HR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs meeting in Moscow on Thursday (June 4) and a conference on security issues in the SCO countries.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation was formed in 2001 in Shanghai, China and its members include Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The group's main goals are to develop regional cooperation and ensure peace in the region.
Afghanistan, India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan hold the observer status in the SCO.
Russia's Lavrov announced yesterday that Iran will be joining the organisation as its full member.
The Iranian foreign minister is expected to hold a series of bilateral and trilateral talks with his counterparts from China, Russia, and Tajikistan on the sidelines of the summit, Iranian PressTV agency reported.
The meetings are expected to focus on Iran's nuclear talks which entered the final stage, as well as developments in Syria, Iraq Yemen and the fight against IS.
Opening the conference, Russian Foreign Minister Segei Lavrov spoke of the latest developments in Ukraine.
"Unfortunately politics aimed at submitting whole nations to unilateral geopolitical agendas have led to a deep internal crisis in Ukraine. The Minsk agreements from February 12 are under constant threat of being violated because of actions by the Kiev authorities trying to avoid fulfilling their obligations to establish a direct dialogue with Donbass," Lavrov said.
Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian separatists fought their first serious battles in months on Wednesday (June 3) since ceasefire brokered in February by the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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