Fmr US official:

World will be listening to Iran's president at UN

TEHRAN (defapress) – The upcoming United Nations General Assembly would be a very important tribune for Iran's President Hassan Rouhani as the world would be listening to get the country's policies on global and regional issues, a veteran US diplomat said.

News ID: 72461

Date: 17 September 2018 - 15:35

Describing the upcoming visit of Iran's President to the United Nations General Assembly as 'extremely important, Frank Wisner, a former US under secretary of state for international security affairs, said that President Rouhani comes at an important time, when the region is beset with troubles, the situation in Syria is reaching a crescendo and the events in Idlib and the situation in Iraq is sensitive, tensions in the Persian Gulf are on the rise, and Yemen is on the front burner of major problems.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman declared on Monday that President Rouhani will participate in the UN General Assembaly, without giving the exact date.

'The region of which Iran is such a prominent player would be at center stage during the time that governments, journalists, intellectual visitors are all focusing at the United Nations General Assembly,' the official said.

The president comes at a delicate and a very important time, he said.

'He will have a world-wide audience, people from across the globe will be listening to what he has to say,' according to the former US ambassador.

Describing the event as 'an international stage like no other that is available to a chief of state of anywhere at any time', he said President Rouhani will position Iran on issues of vital importance to peace and security of the world.

The future of Iran's nuclear program, in light of the fact that the United States has pulled loose from the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) will be an important issue that the world is eager to hear about, he said.

'The situation in the region particularly in Syria and in Iraq, the situation across the Persian Gulf between Saudi Arabia and Iran,' will be other issues of great importance.

'And the world will be listening to get Iran's perspective on the situation and where the situation is headed,' said Wisner who had been US ambassador to various parts of the world during the terms of eight presidents.

Iran's president will be uniquely able to clarify Iran's policies and where Iran is heading, he said.

'He, in the absence of official channels of communication with the US, will be listened to very carefully,' he said, 'All of us want to see American and Iranian policies based on realistic assessment of each others' interests and points of view.'

The occasion is extremely important, as the US will haves the chance to hear communications of the highest levels of Iran, Wisner said.

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