Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei received President Vladimir Putin of Russia on Monday. Mr. Putin is in Tehran to participate in GECF (Gas Exporting Countries Forum). The Leader also criticized the US for lacking ‘rigor and honor’ in its policies toward the Middle East, and believed that the US plans and general policies on Syrian crisis had contributed to more violence and only strengthened the terrorist positions.
“The US long-term plan for the region is damaging all countries’ interests, especially those of Russia and Iran, and only close cooperation would neutralize those plots,” said the Leader in his 2-hour meeting with Putin, when Ayatollah Khamenei praised Mr. Putin as ‘an outstanding political figure of today’ in international community; on nuclear issue, the Leader voiced the mistrust to the US officials, “now the nuclear issue has come to a decisive result we watch the US behavior with open eyes.”
Ayatollah Khamenei also highlighted the ‘seriousness’ in part of Mr. Putin and Iranian officials to develop bilateral relations, believing that the economic cooperation could go beyond the current level. He praised Tehran-Moscow ‘desirable level of cooperation’ especially President Putin’s positions in recent 18 months on different regional issues as ‘innovative;’ “the US officials had always worked to push to the edge their rivals, a policy Russia wisely has so far avoided, neutralizing US effect,” the Leader asserted.
“Moscow’s decisions and action on Syria raised the prestige of the country and its president in the region and the world as well; the US however, has systematically worked to realize their goals in the region through negotiation table as now they see that their plans had come to a debacle in the frontlines; this is an attempt which should be counterbalanced through active diplomacy,” the Leader emphasized.
Ayatollah Khamenei counted it as a pitfall in Washington’s policies the US insistence that Syria’s democratically elected president Bashar al-Assad step down; “the US should not have such a right to turn a blind eye on the votes Syrians of all religious and ethnic groups, cast in ballots for Assad,” he objected. “Any solution to Syrian crisis should have Syrian government and people’s consent,” he added.
The Leader also said that the US ‘direct supports’ for ISIL as their other pitfalls in foreign policy; “cooperation with countries providing support for terrorists and with no place in the eyes of the world public clearly shows that the US systematically lacks diplomatic commitment and morality,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
“For the same reason, except for nuclear issue, we will never talk bilaterally to the US either about Syrian crisis or other issues whatsoever; solving Syrian crisis is crucial for the future of the region; if terrorist groups are left to their own, they will extend their sabotage and terrorism to Central Asia and other regions,” emphasized the Leader.
President Putin presented the Leader with a very old version of the Holy Quran, written in Kufic script and bearing huge historical value.
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