Speaking at the third edition of the Tehran Dialogue Forum (TDF), Hossein Amirabdollahian said that the policy of neighborhood is the centerpiece of the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s foreign policy.

The administration uses all its might to build trust and strengthen the foundations of friendship with its neighbors in the region, he added.

The foreign minister noted that Iran has always been one of the foundations of stability and security in the region and the frontline of the fight against ISIL terrorism, adding that Iran has always been at the forefront of fighting all kinds of terrorism in the region and the world.

Iran is ready to build trust and cooperate in all dimensions with its neighbors in the region and the Persian Gulf region to establish security and stability in the region, he underlined.

Tehran is ready to hold a joint meeting of foreign and defense ministers between Iran and the Persian Gulf states and other neighboring countries, Amirabdollahian said.

Stating that the policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran is to develop relations with its neighbor, he added that Ebrahim Raisi’s administration is ready to focus more on the development of regional and international cooperation through constructive and forward-looking dialogue.

Iran has received a large number of Afghan refugees in the last year while it is under the most severe sanctions, said the Iranian foreign minister.

Iran believes that stable security in Afghanistan is possible only through the formation of an inclusive government, he added.

Iran has always welcomed China’s regional cooperation with the countries of the region, said Amirabdollahian, adding that in recent years, Tehran and Beijing have raised the level of their relations to long-term strategic cooperation. “Last week, two Iranian and Chinese representatives held talks in Tehran to follow up on the implementation of the joint comprehensive program of strategic cooperation between the two countries.”

Referring to the joint statement issued by the PGCC member states with the presence of China during Xi’s visit to Saudi Arabia, he said Iran announced its displeasure and protest through diplomatic channels in an official form and sent an official note to the Chinese side.

Emphasizing the continuation of strategic cooperation with China, he noted that Iran won’t allow anyone to comment on its territorial integrity.

The third Tehran Dialogue Forum (TCF) has kicked off in Tehran, with officials and representatives from different countries across the world taking part.

This year’s initiative, which kicked off on Monday morning, is focused on the policy of the Islamic Republic toward its neighbors and its approach to friendship and trust-building. The forum is attended by nearly 70 officials and representatives of think tanks and research centers from 36 countries.

Meanwhile in the forum expressing Iran’s readiness to return to its JCPOA obligations, the head of Iran’s Foreign Policy Strategic Council said that for decades, Iran has been after a region free of nuclear weapons.

Kamal Kharrazi spoke about the recent development in Iran.

What happened in Iran in recent months was a hybrid war, Kharrazi said, adding that many foreign media, intelligence agencies, and terrorist operations were involved in this hybrid war.

Disturbing of public opinion is one of the features of this hybrid war, which is called cognitive war, he noted.

“You have witnessed how some countries including France, the UK, and the US deal with riots,” he said and stated that Iran is no exception.

He also referred to IAEA technical team’s visit to Tehran, saying, “Now Iran is ready to return to its JCPOA obligations. Many problems have been solved so far except for the safeguard issues, and we hope that these issues will be resolved during this visit.”

For decades, Iran has been after a region free of nuclear weapons, he said, stressing that Israel’s nuclear weapons should also be destroyed and it should join safeguard.

Today, Iran has the necessary nuclear capability, but the country has no intention to build nuclear weapons, he underlined.

Meanwhile on the sidelines of the event Amirabdollahian said that diplomats of the European Union and Iran seriously follow up on consultations on the resumption of the 2015 nuclear agreement.

Amirabdollahian said in a press conference that his Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Ali Bagheri Kani and Deputy Secretary-General European Union Enrique Mora as well as he himself and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell continue consultations.

Borrell and Mora are going to visit Jordan concurrent with the arrival of the Iranian delegation to the second Baghdad Conference on December 20, the Iranian top diplomat said.

The conference in Amman is a proper opportunity to accomplish talks on the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), he said, expressing hope that despite the Americans’ attitude in the last three months, a change of approach and realistic behavior from the American side would be seen.

As to the negotiations with Saudi Arabia on resumption of diplomatic ties, he noted that the talks are in the path of official diplomacy and Iran is ready, whenever the Saudis are prepared, to reopen embassies and return the relationship to a normal mode, so this is the Saudi side that should decide how to pursue a constructive approach towards Iran.

He further said that the second Baghdad Conference can provide an atmosphere to get away from challenges and that the main message of the event should focus on regional cooperation without foreigners’ intervention.

The Islamic Republic has always embraced dialogue and collaboration with regional nations, including Arab littoral states of the Persian Gulf, the foreign minister underlined.

The post Iran Ready to Cooperate With Neighbors in All Fields appeared first on Iran News Daily.

In a phone call with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, the Iranian president said he hoped that Iraq’s political process, which started with last year’s parliamentary elections, would lead to the establishment of a strong government as soon as possible.

Kadhimi, for his part, offered congratulations to Raisi on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr and hailed Iran’s support for his country.

Iraq has so far failed to elect a new president due to a lack of quorum in the parliament, prolonging a bitter deadlock in Iraqi politics months after a general election considerably changed the make-up of the parliament.

Iraqi parliamentary elections were held on October 10 last year, the fifth in Iraq since the US-led invasion of the Arab country in 2003.

Meanwhile Raisi in a phone talk with the Emir of Kuwait hailed that country for adopting wise stances in confrontation with regional plots, and while recalling excellent bilateral ties in the past said that the two countries’ high level ties need to be restored.

President Raisi in his phone talk with Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmed Al Sabah felicitated the Eid al-Fitr to him and the Kuwaiti nation and expressed hope the Eid’s blessings will engulf the friendly neighboring country of Kuwait.

“Such occasions contribute to bringing closer the hearts of the Muslim nation and further strengthen their bonds of solidarity,” added Raisi.

The president expressed hope to meet the Emir of Kuwait in Tehran soon, adding that increased visits of the two countries’ officials can increase the existing potentials for evermore improving of bilateral ties and to implementing the reached agreements.

Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmed Al Sabah of Kuwait, for his part, congratulated the Eid al-Fitr to President Raisi and the Iranian nation, appreciating the new Iranian government’s policy of broadening ties with the neighboring and friendly countries.

He also expressed hope to host President Raisi in Kuwait, saying that he agreed with the Iranian president that the visits of two countries’ senior officials can lead to further broadening of ties and their deepening, thus serving mutual national interests.

Meanwhile Raisi on Tuesday in a telephone conversation with his Turkmen counterpart Serdar Berdimuhamedow that he was sure that the process of expansion of ties between the two countries would be accelerated in Berdimuhamedow’s term of office.

President Raisi also congratulated the Turkmen President on the advent of Eid al-Fitr which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

Expressing certainty that the process would be accelerated, Raisi in this telephone conversation told his counterpart that with his father Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow’s measures during his term of office as president of Turkmenistan, interactions between Tehran and Ashgabat in various fields progressed well.

Berdimuhamedow, for his part, congratulated the President and the people of Iran on Eid al-Fitr and referred to the 30th anniversary of the establishment of relations between the two countries, adding that in recent years, ties between the two countries in all fields have been actively expanded and developed.

He also said that Turkmenistan is interested to accelerate broadening ties with Iran and that activating the joint economic cooperation commission between the two countries would certainly help achieve this goal.

The post Iran Backs Friendly Ties With Neighboring States appeared first on Iran News Daily.