Former Foreign Minister of Iran and Head of Strategic Council on Foreign Relations Seyed Kamal Kharazi says Islamic Republic is prepared to cooperate with other countries both bilaterally and multilaterally to solve the problems of region and help develop the regional stability and security.
Giving a lecture on ‘Emerging Regional and Global Scenario: A Perspective from Iran’ at Pakistan’s Institute for Policy Studies in Islamabad, he said it is imperative for countries to cooperate with each other and contribute to the stability of the region.
“I have sincere feelings for the people of Pakistan that can never be substituted,” he said.
He added during the recent decade several unexpected events have happened in the world each with important consequences. “One of these developments was the Islamic Revolution in 1979 which had deep regional and global impacts,” he said.
The official went on to say that collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of cold war was another incident which ended the two-block global system and despite the American designs to impose its hegemonic leadership, the world moved towards multi-polar system and as a result the regional powers have played more significant role, with some following own way and some following the will of the world powers.
“Another development was the emergence of economic powers like China, India in Asia and finally the Arab Revolutions in Middle East which created regional stability,” he noted.
Seyed Kamal Kharazi expressing his views said that after the Islamic Revolution the Iranian strategy moved from pro-American policy to independent pro-Islamic policy, support of Palestinians in their struggle and friendship with other Islamic countries has been Iranian foreign policy’s top priority.
He added that this wide spread transformation of Iran has triggered wide spread hostility of the West against Iran led by the United States and followed by those countries in the region that were dependent on the United States.
“Various plots were carried out against Iran from eight years of war to heavy sanctions but since then the leaders and people of Iran resisted all of these plots,” he said.
The expert on international affairs said that the United States and Zionist regime have always tried to defeat the Islamic Republic but their plots turned out to be contrary to their whishes.
He said that today the Islamic Republic of Iran is standing on its feet and playing a positive role as a regional power.
The official said the close cooperation between China and Russia on the one hand and the proximity of the United States and India on the other to counter China have been one of the important post-cold war developments in Asia.
Kharazi said the politics of current American president which contradicts the European policies has ended up in confusion. “The Europeans cannot give up their strategic relations with the United States nor can they follow the policies of Mr. Trump and his administration,” said the Iranian foreign policy expert.
He added that these developments have provided an opportunity for greater proximity between China and Russia and at the same time Iran looks for more cooperation with the two countries to confront US hostile politics while trying to develop its relations with Europe, India and Pakistan based on international interests.
“Pakistan too as an important South Asian country which has been considered as ally to West is getting closer to China and has improved its relations with Russia while trying to maintain its strategic relations with the United States,” said the expert.
The official added that some countries of Persian Gulf having disputes among themselves continue to be politically dependent on the United States, established relations with the Zionist regime and intervene in other countries’ internal affairs.
Kharazi said that Arab revolutions which started from North Africa and spread to Middle East and southern countries of the Persian Gulf created instability and power vacuum in the region.
He was of the opinion that activities of terrorists and extremists were intensified in the region and the United States and its allies trained, armed and reinforced Takfiri groups in Syria in order to topple the legitimate Syrian government.
He said Daesh recruited 80,000 troops of which 20,000 were foreigners from 80 countries and occupied some part of Syria and Iraq and that under these circumstances Iran rushed to Syria and Iraq with an aim to maintain status quo, stability and territorial integrity of those countries.
“We supported those governments because we knew that the terrorists would create problems for the whole region including Iran and even other parts of the world,” he added.
The former foreign minister said that unfortunately our intelligence indicates that some southern Persian Gulf States and the United States are involved in transforming these groups to other areas.
“Iranians have scarified themselves in fighting the terrorists in Syria and Iraq,” he said. The expert said that the countries that support terrorism give hundreds of billions of dollars to the United States to buy its support.
Kharazi expressing his views said that it is imperative for countries to cooperate with one another and contribute to the stability of the region. “Iran is prepared to cooperate with other countries both bilaterally and multilaterally in order to solve the problems of the region and help develop the regional stability and security.
Director General of IPS Khalid Rahman and former Foreign secretary Shamshad Ahmed Khan also spoke on the occasion.
A large number of scholars, diplomats, retired army officers, researchers and students attended the event.
(IRNA)
