Rouhani: Saudi Arabia Must End Interference in Mideast

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has urged Saudi Arabia to adopt a realistic view to regional issues and end its intrusive policies to pave the way for the solution of problems hindering mutual relations.

“If Saudi Arabia’s outlook on general regional issues is brought closer to realities and it renounces its meddling, many problems including those concerning [bilateral] relations can be solved in the new conditions,” Rouhani, who was speaking in reference to the deadly Saudi aggression against Yemen, said in a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Iran’s ambassadors and heads of diplomatic missions to other countries in Tehran.

Saudi Arabia launched its military campaign in Yemen on March 26 in line with Riyadh’s goal of undermining the Houthi movement and bringing Yemen’s fugitive former President AbdRabbuh Mansur Hadi back to power.

The Saudi aggression has claimed the lives of more than 7,100 people so far, while a total of nearly 14,000 people have also been injured.

Rouhani further said, “Today, we have many important issues in the region whose prolongation will only be beneficial to a regime like the Israeli regime.”

The Iranian president emphasized that the establishment of peace, stability and security in the Middle East will be detrimental to the Israeli regime and beneficial to all regional nations.

Rouhani said Iran is ready to hold negotiations on regional issues on the condition that the talks would lead to restoration of security and stability to regional countries.

He expressed confidence that the crises in Syria, Yemen and Bahrain would be solved through political approaches.

“It will be possible to reach this objective only through constructive interaction,” he pointed out.

Campaign against terrorism in Syria should go with democratic process, says Abdollahian

On the other hand in Tehran, Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab-African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Monday that the strategy of campaign against terrorism in Syria should go in parallel with democratic process.

Referring to Syrian peace talks held in Vienna on Friday, Amir-Abdollahian said that its was the first meeting in presence of the main players.

Asked whether Iran would take part in the next meetings on the crisisin Syria, Amir-Abdollahian said it depends on how the talks would go on.

Iran will attend a meeting provided that it will be useful and will help find a democratic settlement to the crisis in Syria, Amir-Abdollahian said.

He said that there were differences of opinion during peace talks and the meeting was long and full of challenges.

Amir-Abdollahian said that all the participants agreed on a more active role of the United Nations in the meetings.

PRESS T.V, IRNA

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