Rouhani held a meeting with his Swiss counterpart Ueli Maurer on the sidelines of the 74th annual session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.
In the meeting, Rouhani thanked Switzerland for its efforts and assistance as a government that represents the Iranian interests in the US, saying, “We have always regarded Switzerland as a cultural nation, and have had very good, age-old and historical relations with your country.”
He also pointed to Switzerland’s efforts to establish a payment channel for economic interaction with Iran, including for the purchase of medicine, adding, “Contrary to the stances that it has announced, the US government is unfortunately obstructing the banking transactions between Iran and Switzerland in practice, even for the purchase of medicine or humanitarian supplies.”
Rouhani also denounced the US plots as an act of “state-sponsored terrorism”, because they were practically targeted at killing children and patients.
The Swiss president, for his part, highlighted the century-old ties between Tehran and Bern, saying Switzerland’s altruistic and neutral policy has its roots in the country’s history.
Maurer added that his country would welcome every humanitarian plan or initiative for de-escalation of tensions in the region.
He also voiced Switzerland’s willingness to know about the Iranian president’s initiative for regional peace and security, known as the “Hormuz Peace Initiative.”
