Aref made the remarks on Tuesday, in a meeting with a group Iranian diplomat in Moscow, where he has travelled to attend the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
Referring to Iran’s membership, he said the country began its bid for regional blocs, including the SCO in the 1980s, and played an effective role after accessing these organizations.
Aref continued by pointing out cordial relations Tehran developed with member countries of the SCO and, the Eurasian Union because of “cultural and civilizational similarities with them.”
Emphasizing that multilateral relations with regional blocs is one of the priorities of Iran today, he called for the need to use various types of diplomacy in the field of foreign relations. Due to the historical, civilizational and cultural similarities with the Eurasian countries, cultural diplomacy can help us improve relations,” he added.
Aref also expressed satisfaction over the strategic relations with regional countries, including Russia, saying Tehran-Moscow cooperation is within the framework of national interests, and national security of both sides, as well as regional conditions.
He said Russia’s positions on anti-Iran rhetoric and policies of the West clearly indicate that Iranophobia has had no impact on the Russian public opinion. “We must improve our relations with this country in various fields, including advanced technologies, trade and commerce development, and tourism, scientific, and cultural interactions,” Aref added.
