Russian President Vladimir Putin has voiced his concern over the hotspots in the Middle East and Afghanistan's areas near the Russian border.
In an interview with Azerbaijan State News Agency (AZERTAC) published on Russia's presidency on Friday, Putin said these hotspots pose a "threat of international terrorism, cross-border crime, and drug and arms trafficking as well as the movement of gunmen." He reiterated the necessity of "combating collectively terrorism based on the international law, warning against using terrorists for achieving geopolitical purposes." Asked about his meeting with presidents of Iran and Azerbaijan slated for August 8, Putin said it would discuss means of promoting cooperation in economic, political and security fields.
He affirmed the importance of cooperation among the three countries in combating terrorism.
He described Iran as an "old partner of Russia," expressing his confidence that addressing the Iranian nuclear crisis would have positive reflections on the relations between the two countries.
On settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Putin said that Russia doesn't impose a settlement on both Azerbaijan and Armenia, underlining the need for the two sides to reach a solution on the basis of mutual concessions.