Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian proposed creating a new format of cooperation with the Commonwealth of Independent States called “CIS+1,” which would include Tehran’s participation. He announced the initiative during the CIS heads of state summit in Turkmenistan, The Moscow Times reports, citing the Iranian Fars news agency, UNN writes.
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Pezeshkian became the first Iranian president to attend such a summit as a special guest. According to him, the new format should become an effective mechanism for political dialogue and economic cooperation between the countries.
Regional diplomacy should not be limited to meetings but should help resolve crises, maintain contacts, prevent the escalation of conflicts, and develop practical cooperation
– the Iranian president said.What Iran is offering the CIS countries
Pezeshkian paid particular attention to energy cooperation. He proposed creating a regional network for the production, transportation, and exchange of energy resources that would combine supplies of oil, gas, and electricity with the development of renewable energy.
The Iranian leader also urged the states to use the advantages of their geographic location to deepen economic ties and jointly develop infrastructure.
At the same time, the “CIS+1” initiative does not currently envisage Iran’s full membership in the organization. The proposal concerns the creation of a separate partnership mechanism between Tehran and the Commonwealth countries, which was founded in 1991 following the collapse of the USSR.