Russia says it is ready to work on CIS plus Iran format proposed by Pezeshkian

Russia has said it is prepared to work with its partners on an initiative to create a "CIS plus Iran" format, according to a statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry reported by TASS. The proposal was raised by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who in October became the first Iranian leader to be invited to a meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of State. That meeting took place on October 9 in Turkmenistan.

A Russian Foreign Ministry official, identified as Pankin, said the Russian side was "among the first to support this proposal from the Turkmen side" and highly valued the Iranian leader's participation in the summit of the Commonwealth nations. He said the idea of creating the CIS + 1 format voiced by Pezeshkian had sparked significant interest in Moscow, and, as far as Russia can tell, in the capitals of other Commonwealth states as well as within the expert community. "The Russian side is prepared to work on this initiative with its partners," Pankin said.

According to the report, Russia holds the view that "the expansion of cooperation between the CIS and Iran has enormous potential across a wide range of areas." At the same time, Pankin said it is "premature" to talk about expanding the organization's membership. "We operate on the premise that the existing mechanisms within the CIS for involving third countries in the Commonwealth's activities, including the CIS+ format, currently provide sufficient opportunities for establishing cooperation and implementing joint projects," he concluded.

The Commonwealth of Independent States is a regional organization made up of former Soviet republics. Iran, which shares borders with several CIS member states around the Caspian Sea region, has sought closer ties with the bloc in recent years. Pezeshkian's attendance at the October 9 summit in Turkmenistan marked the first time an Iranian president had been invited to the CIS Council of Heads of State meeting.

The remarks indicate that Moscow is open to discussing the proposed format while stopping short of endorsing any change to the organization's membership structure. According to Mehr News, citing TASS, the Russian side described the existing CIS mechanisms for involving third countries as sufficient for establishing cooperation and implementing joint projects at present.