Diplomatic contact between Ukraine and Iran continued in New York on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. Andrii Sybiha and Abbas Araghchi discussed reciprocal steps that could be taken to prevent tensions between the two countries from escalating further.
Sybiha said Wednesday's meeting followed a phone call he held with Araghchi in July. The Ukrainian minister said direct communication must continue, regardless of how difficult the circumstances are.
The sides agreed to keep their existing communication channels open. Developments in the Middle East and Europe, as well as various ongoing peace initiatives, were also discussed. Sybiha reiterated that Ukraine supports restoring peace and stability in both regions as soon as possible.
Incident involving a vessel in the Caspian Sea also discussed
One of the issues underlying the meeting was an incident in which Iran alleged that Ukraine had attacked a commercial vessel sailing in the Caspian Sea in July. One sailor was killed and another was injured in the incident.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces had struck vessels used to transport military cargo linked to Iran, but he did not name a specific vessel.
Sybiha said during contacts at the time that Kyiv did not want an unnecessary escalation with Iran. The Ukrainian minister said his country's actions were intended to defend against Russia's aggression and that it had no intention of targeting civilian vessels or civilians.
Sybiha also held Russia fully responsible for the provocations and loss of life. The Ukrainian minister argued that steps that could raise tensions should be avoided and that support for Russia's war in Ukraine must end.
Araghchi said his Ukrainian counterpart had assured him that the incident was unintentional and that Kyiv did not want tensions. The Iranian minister said Tehran was not seeking tensions either, but considered any attack against its citizens or interests unacceptable. Araghchi also said compensation was necessary for the losses.
