TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said that Russia is the most important nuclear partner of Iran and Tehran-Moscow cooperation in this area will be expanded.

Removal of sanctions will eradicate all the impediments to economic relations between Iran and Russia, Zarif said in a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Tehran on Monday.

He expressed hope that Iran-Russia cooperation in developing the Bushehr power plant would be continued.

Commenting on situation in Syria, he said that the Syrian people should determine their own destiny and foreign interference in Syria’s affairs is “unacceptable”.

Lavrov said that Russia supports the nuclear agreement between Iran and the 5+1 group (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany).

He also said that the current Syrian government is “legal” and noted that Russia will not change position on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

He added that the crisis in Syria will only be settled peacefully and by the Syrians.

The crises in the Middle East region should be resolved without any foreign interference, he said.

He also rejected claims made about trip of Major General Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IGRC), to Moscow and described the claims as “unfounded rumors”.

U.S. Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power claimed on Friday that Soleimani visited Russia and held meetings in the Russian capital to discuss Middle East strategy.

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