(31 Aug 2022)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
AGENCY POOL
Moscow - 31 August 2022
1. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov entering with Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian
2. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister:
"We are closely following the process of Iran's accession to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as a full member. The fundamental decisions have been made on this matter, and in Samarkand next month, at the SCO summit, a memorandum of obligations of Iran will be signed in accordance with the decisions of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. This will become a practical and very important step of full membership in the organization."
3. Wide of press conference underway
4. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister:
"Regarding the integration and mutual use of the Russian system Mir and the Iranian system Shitab, substantive negotiations are underway at the level of central banks, they communicated in my opinion in July and agreed on a kind of road map that will lead us to a result. I'm sure it will happen soon enough."
5. Mid of Amirabdollahian speaking
6. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister:
"We spoke in detail about all aspects related to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action to resolve the situation around the Iranian nuclear program. The Minister expressed gratitude for our firm and uncontroversial position, for our consistent efforts aimed at the speedy resumption of the full-blooded functioning of this nuclear deal. At the same time, all illegal anti-Iranian sanctions must be lifted and the global community is still waiting for the United States to return to the legal field of the UN Security Council Resolution 2231. We support Iran's position in the final, we hope, stages of the negotiations."
7. Ministers shaking hands, leaving
STORYLINE:
Iran is at the cusp of becoming a fully-fledged member of the Russia-dominated Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) while talks are underway between the Russian and Iranian central banks to integrate their SWIFT-alternative money transfer systems, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday.
"We are closely following the process of Iran's accession to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as a full member. The fundamental decisions have been made on this matter," Lavrov said after talks with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian.
"In Samarkand next month, at the SCO summit, a memorandum of obligations of Iran will be signed in accordance with the decisions of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. This will become a practical and very important step of full membership in the organization."
The minister added that the two also discussed the ongoing negotiations around the Iran nuclear deal and expressed hope that negotiations are in their final stages. Lavrov reiterated Moscow's full backing of Iran position in the talks and called for "all illegal anti-Iranian" sanctions to be lifted.
The top minister said that a road map has been developed by the two countries' central banks to integrate their cross-border money transfer systems, Russia's Mir and Iran's Shitab, both seen as replacements to SWIFT.
US sanctions have seen Iran booted from SWIFT while several major Russian banks also have been excluded from the system since the invasion of Ukraine.
No mention was made of the reported Moscow-Tehran talks about possible drone purchases for deployment in Ukraine.
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