Rouhani Urges End of Foreign Intervention, Terrorism in Region
TEHRAN– Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in a meeting with new Iraqi Ambassador to Tehran Rajih al-Mussawiunderlined the need for putting an end to foreign interference and terrorism in the region.
“Without doubt, establishment of peace and tranquility in Iraq is equal to the establishment of security and serenity in Iran,'” President Rouhani said, underlining the need for uprooting terrorism and presence of foreign troops in the region.
The Iranian president said that Tehran attaches great importance to the expansion of relations with Baghdad, and added, “Iran and Iraq enjoy vast untapped potentials for expansion of relations in economic, cultural, and political arenas.”
‘We wish victory for the Iraqi nation in its fight against terrorism and hope that all Iraqi groups come to live under one flag in peace and tranquility,” he added.
Al-Mussawi, for his part, said that Iran is his second homeland, and stated that the people of Iraq have felt the kindness and friendship of Iranians, specially in their fight against terrorism in recent years.
In relevant remarks on Wednesday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani described terrorism and extremism as the most dangerous threats posed to the entire world, and called for collective efforts by all countries to uproot terrorist groups in the region.
Speaking in a meeting with French Parliament Vice-Speaker Laurence Dumont on the sidelines of the 4th World Conference of Speakers of Parliaments in New York, sponsored by the Geneva-based Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Larijani underlined that fighting terrorism is important for both Iran and France because terrorism will not be limited to the Middle East and it is a global threat.
Zarif calls on US officials to realize realities, avoid fueling more violence in region
On the other hand, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad JavadZarif blamed Washington for the ongoing regional crises, and called on the US officials to come to understand the realities instead of blaming others.
Zarif’s remarks came in reaction to the recent statements of his US counterpart John Kerry who in a letter to the US congressmen said he shares the concern with them on “Iran’s support for the terrorist and proxy groups“.
“Unfortunately, Washington’s regional policies have fueled violence and extremism; the US allies in the region are currently supporting violence and extremism directly and indirectly,” Zarif said, addressing a joint press conference with his Czech counterpart LubomirZaoralek in Tehran on Sunday.
The Iranian foreign minister reiterated that the US officials and other international actors should avoid making “irrelevant remarks” and stop stirring a more chaotic situation in the region, and said, “The US officials should understand the realities in the region.”
Zarif, meantime, criticized the inhuman treatment of refugees who are fleeing their homelands to different parts of the world to get away from extremism and terrorism, and reminded that “Iran has hosted millions of refugees from its neighboring countries in the last three decades.”
He expressed Iran’s readiness, as a serious actor and a peace-seeking country in the region, to cooperate with regional states and the international community to fight violence and extremism.
Kerry in his letter to the US Congress also said, “We have no illusion that that behavior will change following the implementation of the Join Comprehensive Plan of Action (ICPOA). That is precisely why we have focused on preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon,” he said.
FNA
R.S