A senior Iranian official says the ongoing tensions between Moscow and Ankara will not serve the interests of�regional countries, urging all-out efforts to help end the row.

Both Turkey and Russia �are our neighbors and we do not want to see any tension between [our] neighboring countries, with whom we have friendly relations,� Ali-Akbar Velayati, a top adviser to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, said in Tehran on Saturday.

Velayati, who was speaking to reporters following a meeting with senior Turkish Shia cleric, Sheikh Salahuddin Ozgunduz, added that the tensions between Russia and Turkey will serve the interests of neither of the two countries nor those�of other regional states.

Tensions between Ankara�and Moscow have been escalating�since�Turkey�s downing of a Russian fighter jet near�the Syrian border.�On November 24, Turkey shot down a Russian�Sukhoi�Su-24M bomber�with two pilots aboard, claiming the fighter jet had violated the Turkish airspace. One of the pilots lost his life following the attack while the other was rescued in a Syrian army operation.

Moscow�has dismissed Ankara�s claims, saying the plane was targeted�in Syria�s airspace, where Russia has been conducting operations against Takfiri terrorists since September 30 upon a request from the Damascus government.

Following the incident, Moscow imposed a number of punitive measures against Ankara, including import restriction on Turkish foods, a ban on tourist travel to Turkey, an embargo on hiring Turkish citizens in Russia and a ban on Turkish organizations� activities in Russia.

Velayati further expressed hope that Iran and Turkey will improve cooperation with other regional countries, including Iraq and Syria, to thwart US and Zionist-led plots aimed at disintegrating Muslim states.
�If there is a difference among regional countries or Muslim states, it should be settled through dialog and [we] should not interfere in each other�s internal affairs,� he said.
The senior Iranian official also emphasized that nations in the region should not allow extra-regional countries to meddle with their affairs and stressed the importance of reinforcing unity and solidarity among Muslim nations.

By Press TV