Iran Says Willing to Improve Ties with Neighboring Countries

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (Tasnim)
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (Tasnim)
TT

Iran Says Willing to Improve Ties with Neighboring Countries

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (Tasnim)
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (Tasnim)

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said Tehran is willing to improve relations with neighboring countries, Iran’s official news agency IRNA reported on Monday.

In a speech during the third Tehran Dialogue Forum 2022, Amir-Abdollahian said Tehran welcomes rebuilding trust and constructive cooperation with its neighbors, especially the Gulf countries.

He expressed Iran’s readiness to hold a meeting at the level of defense and foreign ministers of neighboring countries and countries bordering the Arabian Gulf to establish regional security in cooperation with these countries and enjoy a world where peace prevails.

The FM congratulated Qatar’s deputy foreign minister on the success of organizing the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and Doha’s cooperation with the Iranian football team.

In remarks about Ukraine, Amir-Abdollahian said Tehran’s fundamental policy is against the use of force and supports resolving the conflict through political means.

“Europe is paying the price for the policies of the United States towards Ukraine,” the FM stated.

He deemed as “baseless” the accusations against Tehran of providing drones to Russia and stressed that the West seeks to justify its support for the war through these accusations.

The forum kicked off its activities on Monday, with the participation of political officials, directors of think tanks and research institutes, intellectuals and researchers.

The event was held under the title: “The Neighborhood Policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran... An Approach to Friendship and Trust-Building,” Germany’s news agency DPA reported.

Amir-Abdollahian said the summit Jordan will host this week could help move forward the talks on reviving the nuclear deal with world powers that have been stalled for months.

Jordan will host the second session of the Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership on Tuesday.

The event will bring together Iraq and its neighboring countries, as well as France. The European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and his assistant, Enrique Mora, the nuclear talks coordinator, will also attend.

Amir-Abdollahian said the event represents a good opportunity for Tehran to complete these talks.

The minister, who will represent his country at the summit, reiterated Iran's position, which holds the other party, especially the United States, responsible for not completing the talks that would revive the 2015 nuclear agreement.

He expressed hope to see “a change in the US approach” and for the US side to act in a realistic manner.

He urged Americans to choose between hypocrisy and the return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.



Ukraine’s Zelenskiy to Present ‘Victory Plan’ at Ramstein Meeting

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy prepares to address the 79th United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York, US, September 25, 2024. (Reuters)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy prepares to address the 79th United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York, US, September 25, 2024. (Reuters)
TT

Ukraine’s Zelenskiy to Present ‘Victory Plan’ at Ramstein Meeting

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy prepares to address the 79th United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York, US, September 25, 2024. (Reuters)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy prepares to address the 79th United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York, US, September 25, 2024. (Reuters)

Ukraine will present its "victory plan" at a regular meeting of its allies at Ramstein in Germany on October 12, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a post on Telegram on Saturday.

"We will present the victory plan, clear, specific steps for a just end to the war," he wrote.

Ukraine, which has been fending off an invasion from much larger neighbor Russia for nearly 1,000 days, has in recent months teased a plan to end the war.

The details have not been made public, but Zelenskiy presented it to US President Joe Biden, as well as both major candidates running in the country's presidential election, when he visited Washington last month.

The US State Department spokesman said the plan contained "a number of productive steps" which the US would engage with Ukraine on.

However, the Wall Street Journal newspaper cited anonymous US officials as saying that the plan was a repackaged request for more weapons and a lifting of restrictions on the use of long-range missiles, and lacked a comprehensive strategy.