Iran’s Zarif: In our region, we suffer from lack of dialogue

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif emphasized that the region is suffering from lack of dialogue and suggested holding a regional dialogue.

News ID: 69850

Date: 24 April 2018 - 22:50

Tehran (Defapress)Mr. Zarif made the remarks during addressing the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.

“We are located in a region where have seen different situations and crises. Concerns about different issues have been the reason for many of them,” he said.

"We believe, in our region we suffer from lack of dialogue. We don't talk to each other. We talk a lot about each other, particularly when we come here. Saudi Arabia wants to create an impression that we are an existential threat against them that is why we suggest holding a regional dialogue which, of course, should be done before," Mr. Zarif added.

“We should create a regional dialogue forum. Such a forum should include all the regional countries. To join the forum, countries should agree on a number of principles: the inviolability of borders, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and non-intervention in each other's internal affairs,” Iranian foreign minister went on to say.

He said Persian Gulf countries not only need to start talking but to work on confidence-building measures.

Zarif suggested joint task forces on issues ranging from nuclear safety -- because "very soon" there will be a growing number of nuclear reactors on the Persian Gulf coast --to tourism and cultural exchanges.

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump signed off on the sale of more than $1.3 billion in artillery to Saudi Arabia during his visit. Zarif said other Gulf Arab countries are now trying "to compete with one another in buying more weapons."

But “security cannot be purchased,” he said. Rather, he said, it requires “understanding in the region”.
While stressing that the era of zero-sum games is long gone, he added that there are no winners in modern wars and that everybody loses.

He further noted that era of hegemonic influence is over and that neither Iran, nor Saudi Arabia can be hegemonic powers in region.

The Iranian foreign minister also went on to defend the presence of Iranian military advisors in Syria, according to Press TV.

"I think you need to thank us for preventing Damascus, Baghdad, and Erbil, mind you, from falling in the hands of ISIS (Daesh), because then, instead of a terrorist organization, you would have had two terrorist states," he added.

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