Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran Leaders Urge Joint Cooperation to Defeat Terrorism

BAKU-The leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran have adopted a joint declaration following a trilateral summit in the Azeri capital Baku, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported on Monday.

A draft declaration obtained by Sputnik earlier highlighted the need to jointly fight terrorism, as well as boost business, energy, transportation and other ties through establishing respective working groups.

 Joint Cooperation to Defeat Terrorism

During the summit, the three leaders, Vladimir Putin, Hassan Rouhani and Ilham Aliyev discussed issues of common interest and avenues for strengthening cooperation. They affirmed the need for cooperation and collective efforts to confront the danger of terrorism.

Russian President Vladimir Putin raised awareness over increasing terror risks on the borders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran.

“We cannot but feel concerned about the presence of two major hotspots – in Afghanistan and in the Middle East – close to the Russian, Azeri and Iranian borders. They pose a threat of international terrorism and cross-border crime, mostly related to a rise in drug trafficking, arms smuggling and flows of militants,” Putin said.

The Russian leader urged his Iranian and Azeri counterparts to work closer together to address this challenge. Earlier today, Rouhani also called for further integration between the three neighbor nations to counter regional threats.

Putin said the summit has opened a new chapter in the relations between the three states, stressing the need for finding joint solutions to the threat of terrorism facing the region.

Iranian President Urges Dialogue for All Regional Disputes

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called for efforts to resolve all regional disputes through dialogue and diplomacy, according to Press TV.

During the summit on Monday, Rouhani said Iran pays particular attention to the expansion of ties with the regional countries.

“The development of all-out relations with neighboring countries is one of the priorities of Iran’s foreign policy,” he said, adding that the Islamic Republic welcomes any “idea and initiative to increase interaction and cooperation with its neighbors.” 

The foreign policy of the Islamic Republic is based on cooperation, convergence and finding ways to fulfill common interests, he said, adding that Tehran follows “a win-win policy,” Rouhani said.

The Iranian president said interaction among Tehran, Moscow and Baku can help develop and promote the latent capacities and capabilities of the three sides and create new opportunities to counter the existing challenges in the region.

“It goes without saying that such arrangements are not against any country or third party and are merely a framework for dialog focused on the development of regional cooperation among the three countries,” Rouhani said.  

He pointed to the close bilateral relations and consultation between Iran and Russia, saying that in recent years the ties have spanned different areas such as the resolution of the standoff over Iran’s atomic program and reaching a nuclear agreement with the P5+1 group of countries and the implementation of the deal, constructive cooperation to manage the foreign-backed crisis in Syria.

Tehran Urges Cooperation against Meddling in Other Countries Affairs

He added that the Tehran-Moscow cooperation on the nuclear issue and the crisis in Syria can serve as an example and model for other areas of common interest and can even be applied to trilateral ties.         

He highlighted the importance of interaction and cooperation among Iran, Russia and Azerbaijan, adding that all countries must work together to achieve common objectives.

Rouhani said terrorism, extremism, meddling of trans-regional countries in the internal affairs of the states in the region and using sanctions as tools to advance ones’ agendas are plights that require the cooperation of the three countries.

Azerbaijani President Calls for Cooperation in Fight Against Terrorism

In turn, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev underscored that cooperation is the only way to defeat terrorism, calling for the enhancing of joint efforts in coordination of fight against this plight.

“Risks and threats of international terrorism are growing. Only by cooperation we can defeat global terrorism. We are calling for international cooperation in fight against terrorism,” Aliyev said at the trilateral summit.

Concluding the summit, several agreement and understanding memos were signed to boost cooperation in different domains.

H.M