Maria Zakharova to Vestnik Kavkaza: Russia has always developed relations with Iran

Russia has always maintained active relations with Iran, and an exchange of visits at the highest level this year continues this line of the Russian foreign policy, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, said, answering a question from Vestnik Kavkaza.

"The Russian-Iranian relations have been active and remain active today - it's a continuation of our policy. On the contrary, Iran has increased cooperation with its Western colleagues. There is logic behind this that is the solution to the Iranian nuclear program to a mutual satisfaction and the lifting of sanctions. These two events allowed Iran to start building appropriate economic, financial and other relations with many countries. Earlier these countries refused to cooperate with Iran in a number of areas, because of the sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council," she noted.

"In its turn, Russia has always developed relations with Iran. Of course, we have received a certain share of criticism for it, when we were told that we "support the axis of evil", that we are "on the wrong side of history", that we should consider with whom we maintain relations. And now everyone who criticized this country a year ago, maintains relations with it," the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed.

Russia and Iran have similar approaches to the settlement of the Syrian crisis. "We stand together for a peaceful resolution, the involvement of all sides in the international process, inadmissibility of external influence on the situation in Syria and uncompromising struggle against terrorists. I think these are the fundamental things, which we agree with Iran on, and not only with Iran, but also with China and many other countries," she said.