Iranian, Russian Presidents discuss cooperation in phone talk

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev discussed mutual cooperation in a number of fields, and exchanged views over regional developments during a phone conversation on Thursday. A Kremlin statement said Ahmadinejad and Medvedev had discussed Iran's nuclear problem and the Middle East, namely Syria, in their telephone conversation. Both presidents believe that the Middle East troubles may be settled only via a dialogue involving all the parties concerned, said the statement. The leaders also expressed support for the peaceful efforts made by the UN and regional and global organizations. The statement further said that Iran's President Ahmadinejad had voiced support for Moscow's efforts to resolve the Iran-West nuclear standoff through diplomatic means. "Dmitry Medvedev noted with satisfaction the Iranian president's positive assessment of the Russian initiative - a plan of gradually restoring faith in the Iranian nuclear program. The two sides agreed to continue consultations on this question," it added. The presidents agreed on further talks on the issue.