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Ukraine, Iran Foreign Ministers Meet in NY to Defuse Tensions
(MENAFN) Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said he met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday, on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, with discussions centered on steps both sides could take to prevent bilateral tensions from escalating further.
Writing in a statement on X, Sybiha said the meeting built on a phone call the two held in July, after which he indicated Kyiv was working to avoid friction with Tehran following Iran's accusation that Ukraine had struck one of its commercial vessels in the Caspian Sea.
“Diplomacy is about direct conversation, even in challenging circumstances,” Sybiha said, adding that the New York talks focused on “mutual steps to prevent further aggravation of tensions between our countries.”
He said both sides agreed to keep existing lines of communication open, and that the conversation also touched on developments in the Middle East and Europe, along with various ongoing peace initiatives.
“I reiterated Ukraine's position in support of a sooner restoration of peace and stability in both our regions,” he said.
The July phone call between Sybiha and Araghchi came shortly after Tehran alleged that Kyiv had attacked an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea, an incident that killed one sailor and wounded another. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged at the time that Ukrainian forces had struck vessels tied to military cargo shipments linked to Iran, though he did not name a specific ship.
Following that call, Sybiha described the exchange with his Iranian counterpart as "frank," saying he had underscored Ukraine's intent to avoid “unnecessary escalation” with Iran. He maintained that Kyiv's military actions are aimed “solely at defending our country from Russian aggression” and were never meant to target civilians or civilian vessels.
"It is Russia who bears full responsibility for all provocations and casualties," he said at the time, stressing the importance of avoiding further escalatory measures and calling for others to "end any support for Russia's war against Ukraine."
Araghchi, for his part, said his Ukrainian counterpart had assured him the incident was unintentional and that Kyiv was not seeking to escalate the situation.
"Iran does not seek escalation either, but made clear any attack on our citizens or interests is unacceptable. There must be restitution for losses," Araghchi said.
Writing in a statement on X, Sybiha said the meeting built on a phone call the two held in July, after which he indicated Kyiv was working to avoid friction with Tehran following Iran's accusation that Ukraine had struck one of its commercial vessels in the Caspian Sea.
“Diplomacy is about direct conversation, even in challenging circumstances,” Sybiha said, adding that the New York talks focused on “mutual steps to prevent further aggravation of tensions between our countries.”
He said both sides agreed to keep existing lines of communication open, and that the conversation also touched on developments in the Middle East and Europe, along with various ongoing peace initiatives.
“I reiterated Ukraine's position in support of a sooner restoration of peace and stability in both our regions,” he said.
The July phone call between Sybiha and Araghchi came shortly after Tehran alleged that Kyiv had attacked an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea, an incident that killed one sailor and wounded another. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged at the time that Ukrainian forces had struck vessels tied to military cargo shipments linked to Iran, though he did not name a specific ship.
Following that call, Sybiha described the exchange with his Iranian counterpart as "frank," saying he had underscored Ukraine's intent to avoid “unnecessary escalation” with Iran. He maintained that Kyiv's military actions are aimed “solely at defending our country from Russian aggression” and were never meant to target civilians or civilian vessels.
"It is Russia who bears full responsibility for all provocations and casualties," he said at the time, stressing the importance of avoiding further escalatory measures and calling for others to "end any support for Russia's war against Ukraine."
Araghchi, for his part, said his Ukrainian counterpart had assured him the incident was unintentional and that Kyiv was not seeking to escalate the situation.
"Iran does not seek escalation either, but made clear any attack on our citizens or interests is unacceptable. There must be restitution for losses," Araghchi said.
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