DUSHANBE, Oct. 19 -- Iran's first vice president told Russia's prime minister on Monday that Ukraine is stoking instability in northern Iran through attacks on the Caspian region, and that Moscow and Tehran must not let it damage their ties, TASS reported.

Mohammad Reza Aref spoke across the table from Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation heads-of-government meeting in the Tajik capital. Grain and food supplies are "of particular importance for the development of our relations," Aref said, and "Ukraine has caused some instability in this region, in the north of our country." "We must not allow this country to achieve its goals and create problems and obstacles in ties between our two c...