MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Ansari said his four-hour meeting with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov in Moscow on Wednesday was "useful and all-encompassing."
"We discussed Syria, including issues related to the ceasefire. Iran since the beginning of the Syrian crisis believed that it has no military solution. It should be ended by means of political dialogue," Ansari told RIA Novosti.
The 48-hour ceasefire agreement welcomed by Iran went into force at sundown Monday after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US State Secretary John Kerry’s September 9 announcement in Geneva.
"This humanitarian catastrophe should be stopped. We are also in favor of full cooperation in the fight against terrorism. Therefore, any plan that will facilitate the end of bloodshed in Syria and will take into account these three components will of course be supported by Iran," Ansari stressed.
He added the subject of Russia’s brief use of the Hamadan airbase in western Iran for its airstrikes in Syria last month was not broached during the consultations with Bogdanov.
Iran Insists on Coordinating Mideast Actions With Iran Where Interests Align
"We are making efforts to ensure that on those issues where there is a commonality of views and opinions there is proper coordination and harmonization [between Iran and Russia]," Ansari said.
The diplomat voiced support for regular Russian-Iranian consultations on regional issues that he said the sides launched nearly a month ago in Tehran.
"Given the fact that the speed of events in the Arab region, as well as the depth off these changes, is very high, there is the need to hold regular, periodic consultations between Iran and Russia about the events that take place in the Arab region," Ansari said.
Addressing the latest Russian-US ceasefire agreement in Syria, Ansari placed the responsibility for its practical implementation on both Moscow and Washington, but voiced particular hope that the US would remain committed to the agreement.
"Unfortunately, our previous experience related to the US suggests that the extensive use of terrorism to realize its political goals has of course been included on the US agenda," he stressed.
Turkey’s Campaign in Syria Should be Coordinated With Damascus
Turkey’s military actions in Syria should be coordinated with the Syrian government and be conducted with international standards, Ansari said.
Ankara launched operation Euphrates Shield on August 24 with the parallel aims of clearing the northern town of Jarablus and the surrounding areas from the Daesh jihadist group and preventing Kurdish forces from connecting their cantons.
"We believe that any operation and any foreign actions by Turkey in neighboring countries and in Syria, Iraq and other [country] should be in accordance with international standards as well as in coordination with the central government on whose territory the events take place," Ansari said.
Iraqi Kurdistan’s Independence Referendum Not in Foreseeable Future
Tehran does not foresee an independence referendum for Iraqi Kurdistan on the horizon, Ansari said.
"We believe that this has to be dealt with on the basis of two main principles: the need to uphold the civil rights of the Kurds, and to preserve the territorial integrity and unity of the countries in the region and their indivisibility."
Barzani reiterated in March the intent of the Kurdistan region to hold the referendum by October 2016.
Ansari warned of a domino effect created by the region's potential independence bid.
"If partition begins, there will be no end to the matter," the deputy foreign minister asserted.
Grounds to Believe in Russia-Iran-Turkey Rapprochement on Syria
There are grounds to believe that Russia, Iran and Turkey could achieve rapprochement on conflict settlement in Syria, Ansari said.
“I think that in the current circumstances there are grounds for rapprochement of positions among Iran, Turkey and Russia to address the current crises in the Arab region, particularly in Syria."
"We are making efforts along this path to create the groundwork for greater understanding of each other’s positions, as well as the common effort to come out of the current crisis,” he asserted.
