TEHRAN: The presidents of Iran and Belarus hailed their close ties in talks in Tehran Monday at a time both countries are sharply at odds with Western powers, including over Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Ex-Soviet state Belarus serves as a rear base for Russian troops, and Iran is accused of supplying Moscow with armed drones for use in the invasion — a charge it denies while proclaiming its neutrality in the conflict.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi hailed three decades of close ties with Belarus after talks with his counterpart Alexander Lukashenko, who arrived late Sunday for a two-day visit.
“Thirty years after the start of relations ... the two countries have the will to strengthen cooperation,” Raisi said, praising their “common strategic vision.”
Lukashenko said he had observed “with great respect the perseverance with which the (Iranian) people resist external pressures, attempts to impose the will of others on them.”
“And I see that, despite everything, you are developing modern technologies and nuclear energy,” he added about Iran’s contested nuclear program which has sparked tough international sanctions against the country.
“We could be very helpful to each other if we really put our efforts together,” added Lukashenko.
The two presidents, who did not mention the Ukraine war in their statements, signed a roadmap to boost political, economic and cultural cooperation.
Lukashenko is an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, while Tehran also maintains close ties with Russia even as it has stressed a neutral diplomatic stance in the Ukraine war.
Washington has accused Iran of supplying suicide drones to Russia, and expressed alarm over a “dangerous” escalation in military cooperation between Tehran and Moscow.
Iran — which has denied supplying drones to Russia specifically for use in Ukraine — has said it has finalized a contract to buy Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets.
Lukashenko recently made a three-day visit to China, where he voiced support for Beijing’s proposal to mediate in efforts to end the Ukraine war.
Belarus, a neighbor of Ukraine, has not sent soldiers to fight alongside the Russian army, but its territory has served as a rear base for troops from Moscow.
Lukashenko’s visit to Iran was the third ever by a Belarusian president and the first in 17 years, according to state-run news agency Belta.
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Belarus, Iran vow to boost ties amid Russia’s Ukraine war
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https://arab.news/phz78
Belarus, Iran vow to boost ties amid Russia’s Ukraine war
- Ex-Soviet state Belarus serves as a rear base for Russian troops
- Iran is accused of supplying Moscow with armed drones for use in the invasion
Turkish, Greek leaders voice desire to resolve issues
- Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan say they discussed their issues 'in an open and sincere way'
- The NATO allies but historic rivals try to build on warming relations
ANKARA: The leaders of Turkiye and Greece voiced their desire to resolve longstanding maritime disputes hobbling ties during discussions in Ankara on Wednesday, as the NATO allies and historic rivals try to build on warming relations.
The neighbors have been at odds over a range of issues for decades, primarily maritime boundaries and rights in the Aegean, an area widely believed to hold energy resources and with key implications for airspace and military activity.
Following years of heightened tensions, a 2023 declaration on friendly relations prompted a thaw in rhetoric, though their maritime issues have remained unresolved and the two sides still disagree over regional matters.
Speaking at a press conference in Ankara with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said they had discussed their issues in the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean “in an open and sincere way” during the talks.
“While the issues may be thorny, they are not unsolvable on the basis of international law. I saw that we were in agreement with my friend Kyriakos,” Erdogan said.
He added that the two countries would continue working to achieve their goal of reaching $10 billion in bilateral trade.
Mitsotakis said he hoped circumstances would allow the sides to solve a dispute on the demarcation of maritime and exclusive economic zones in the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean.
If not now when?
“It is time to remove any substantial and formal threats to our relations, if not now, when?” Mitsotakis said.
“Destiny has appointed us to live in the same neighborhood. We cannot change geography, but we can make it an ally, choosing convergence, dialogue and trust in international law... to build a future of peace, progress and prosperity for our people.”
Despite the positive tone, Greece’s foreign minister earlier said Athens planned to extend its territorial waters further, including potentially in the Aegean.
Shortly after, Ankara said it had issued a maritime notice urging Greece to coordinate research activities in areas of the Aegean that Turkiye considers part of its continental shelf.
In 1995, Turkiye’s parliament declared a casus belli — a cause for war — should Greece unilaterally extend its territorial waters beyond six nautical miles in the Aegean, a stance Athens says violates international maritime law. Greece says it wants only to discuss demarcation of maritime zones.
Migrant flows
Mitsotakis also said the flows of migrants in the Aegean Sea had decreased by almost 60 percent last year due to cooperation between the two countries, adding this should be strengthened.
Fifteen migrants died in a shipwreck off the Greek island of Chios last week after their boat collided with a Greek coast guard vessel and sank in the Aegean Sea off the Turkish coast.
Turkiye is a transit country for migrants seeking to reach the European Union via Greece. Ankara says the EU has not fully delivered on commitments under a 2016 migration deal and Athens wants Turkiye to do more to curb irregular crossings.
The neighbors have been at odds over a range of issues for decades, primarily maritime boundaries and rights in the Aegean, an area widely believed to hold energy resources and with key implications for airspace and military activity.
Following years of heightened tensions, a 2023 declaration on friendly relations prompted a thaw in rhetoric, though their maritime issues have remained unresolved and the two sides still disagree over regional matters.
Speaking at a press conference in Ankara with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said they had discussed their issues in the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean “in an open and sincere way” during the talks.
“While the issues may be thorny, they are not unsolvable on the basis of international law. I saw that we were in agreement with my friend Kyriakos,” Erdogan said.
He added that the two countries would continue working to achieve their goal of reaching $10 billion in bilateral trade.
Mitsotakis said he hoped circumstances would allow the sides to solve a dispute on the demarcation of maritime and exclusive economic zones in the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean.
If not now when?
“It is time to remove any substantial and formal threats to our relations, if not now, when?” Mitsotakis said.
“Destiny has appointed us to live in the same neighborhood. We cannot change geography, but we can make it an ally, choosing convergence, dialogue and trust in international law... to build a future of peace, progress and prosperity for our people.”
Despite the positive tone, Greece’s foreign minister earlier said Athens planned to extend its territorial waters further, including potentially in the Aegean.
Shortly after, Ankara said it had issued a maritime notice urging Greece to coordinate research activities in areas of the Aegean that Turkiye considers part of its continental shelf.
In 1995, Turkiye’s parliament declared a casus belli — a cause for war — should Greece unilaterally extend its territorial waters beyond six nautical miles in the Aegean, a stance Athens says violates international maritime law. Greece says it wants only to discuss demarcation of maritime zones.
Migrant flows
Mitsotakis also said the flows of migrants in the Aegean Sea had decreased by almost 60 percent last year due to cooperation between the two countries, adding this should be strengthened.
Fifteen migrants died in a shipwreck off the Greek island of Chios last week after their boat collided with a Greek coast guard vessel and sank in the Aegean Sea off the Turkish coast.
Turkiye is a transit country for migrants seeking to reach the European Union via Greece. Ankara says the EU has not fully delivered on commitments under a 2016 migration deal and Athens wants Turkiye to do more to curb irregular crossings.
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