Rouhani Meets with Russian and Chinese Leaders

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin today on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Dushanbe, Tajiskistan. They called for the expansion of cooperation between Russia and Iran. (IRNA, 12 September)

Earlier, Rouhani met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. They also discussed the importance of their bilateral relations, IRNA reported.

Rouhani told reporters upon returning to Tehran tonight that all SCO countries wanted to expand their relations with Iran.

Photo credit: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Russian President Vladimir Putin; Dushanbe, 12 September 2014 (IRNA)

IRIG aircraft returns Rouhani from SCO summit

IRI President Rouhani disembarks from IRIC aircraft at Mehrabad International Airport, returning from Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit held at Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

 

                                                   Aircraft: Airbus A321-231

                                                   Operator: Islamic Republic of Iran Government

                                                   Reg: EP-AGB (cn 1202) 

                                                   Location: Tehran - Mehrabad International (THR / OIII)

                                                   Date: September 13, 2013

                                                   Notes: Return from SCO, Manas International Airport (FRU / UCFM)

Photos: FARS News Agency

Rouhani Meets Chinese President Xi Jiping

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani just twitted from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on his meeting with China’s Xi Jinping. “There is so much capacity for development of bilateral relations between Iran and China,” twitted Rouhani. He also sent the photo above from the meeting. (@HassanRouhani)

The two presidents and their delegations met in Bishkek today on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit.

Russia Calls for Iran’s Flexibility to End Nuclear Impasse

Readiness to Boost Iran’s Defense Capabilities

Russia said that Tehran should show flexibility and the “Six” (P5+1) should react to positive steps which are expected from Iran to end the impasse over the country’s nuclear program, RIA Novosti reported today.

“We coherently and permanently speak for the settlement of the situation related to the Iranian nuclear program only through political and diplomatic means, a military solution is absolutely inadmissible. We believe that the negotiations have a chance of success. It is necessary that Iran shows flexibility and readiness to meet the requirements of the international community,” said Yuri Ushakov, an aide to Russian President Putin, told reporters (RIA Novosti/Reuters, 12 September)

The Russian official made the comments ahead of Putin’s meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. The two will meet tomorrow in Bishkek on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit.

Yesterday, the respected Russian daily Kommersant reported that Putin is ready to offer Rouhani the delivery of the advanced S-300 anti-aircraft missile system and construction of a second nuclear reactor.

The Kommersant report and Ushakov’s comments today could indicate Russia’s eagerness to extract concessions from Iran on the nuclear issue in return for boosting the country’s defense capabilities in order to end the nuclear impasse. 

Rouhani to Attend SCO Summit

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will attend the summit of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on September 13 in Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek.

Rouhani is to hold one-on-one talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the summit.

Shanghai Cooperation Organization was founded in 2001 in Shanghai by the leaders of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Iran, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, and Mongolia have observer status at SCO.

File photo: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (IRNA/Press TV)

Iran’s Membership at SCO Reportedly Opposed by Russia

Russian news agencies are reporting that Russia has opposed Iran’s full membership at Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) until the country remains under UN Security Council sanctions. Iran now has an observer status at SCO. President Ahmadinejad is attending the SCO summit in Beijing and Iran has pushed hard for full membership at SCO, a move that has apparently faced the Russian opposition.

Meanwhile, the SCO has issued a statement denouncing as “unacceptable” the use of force against Iran over its nuclear program.

Photo Credit: SCO Summit. Beijing. 7 June 2012. President Ahmadinejad is fifth from right. IRNA photo.

Iran President in China for SCO Summit

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in China on Tuesday night to attend the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) taking place in Beijing on Wednesday and Thursday. Iran, along with Mongolia, India and Pakistan, hold observer status at SCO. China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kirghizstan are the organization’s full members. 

Today, the Chinese and Russian presidents issued a joint statement at the end of their meeting in Beijing calling for a peaceful resolution to Iran’s nuclear issue. The statements said that the efforts should be made to prevent the Iranian situation from escalating into military confrontation. 

Ahmadinejad at SCO Summit

Top Photo: Kazakah President Nursultan Nazarbayev leading his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the summit of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) being held in the Kazakh capital of Astana.

Bottom Photo: The heads of state and government of SCO members, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan (front row) joined by the leaders and representatives of Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India at the 10^th Summit of Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

In his address today to heads of state at SCO Summit, President Ahmadinejad attacked Western countries as “enslavers, colonialists and invaders” and in effect called for an anti-West alliance to counter the US influence in the region.

Formal speeches by heads of state aside, the discussions on the sidelines of the summit are expected to be dominated by the future of Afghanistan after the US and NATO pullout. And the big elephant in the room would be the newly found vast mineral resources in Afghanistan and the start of the sequel to the Great Game and rivalries among the regional powers and between them and the West.

Photos: IRNA

SCO Summit in Kazakhstan

Afghanistan Looms over SCO Summit

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is in Kazakhstan to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit that opens in Astana on Wednesday. The organization groups China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Iran, Pakistan, India and Afghanistan also take part as observers.

Afghanistan's future after the planned pullout by US and NATO forces is expected to dominate the discussions during the summit. The country's future security and its newly-found vast mineral resources is turning Afghanistan into a center of rivalry between regional powers, namely Iran, Pakistan and India and the heavyweights, China, US and Russia. It appears that the sequel to the Great Game is beginning to be played out in the country.