TEHRAN — Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is set to hold talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Monday to discuss bilateral ties, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

“On December 30, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mohammad Javad Zarif will arrive in Moscow on a working visit, during which he will meet with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

“The ministers will discuss the state of Russian-Iranian relations, prospects for further strengthening the bilateral political dialogue and developing ties in the trade, economic, cultural and other fields,” Zakharova said, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry website.

“When discussing current issues on the international and regional agendas, special attention will be paid to the situation regarding the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on the Iranian nuclear program, the Syrian settlement, developments in the Persian Gulf area and other regional issues.”

She added that following the talks, the ministers will hold a joint news conference.

The U.S., under the Trump administration, has imposed unilateral sanctions on Iran’s economy after withdrawing from the JCPOA in May 2018. Washington has been pushing for a “better deal” by placing unilateral sanctions against Tehran.

On December 22, Lavrov described what the United States is demanding from Iran as “nonsense”.

“Iran cannot be treated in a way Washington is trying to do … Not just flagrantly violating the United Nations Charter, refusing to implement the binding United Nations Security Council resolution but rudely addressing demands to Iran, a country with the millennia-old civilization, traditions and immense self-esteem,” he said.

“As a matter of fact, the Americans said they would not implement this resolution while Iran must continue to implement what it is to do under this resolution,” Lavrov remarked. 

“Moreover, they demand all others who have been granted the right to freely trade with Iran in exchange for what it did in terms of curtailing its nuclear program stop trading with Iran. While Iran must continue to implement what it undertook.”

MH/PA