President Hassan Rouhani called on regional countries to “join hands” to address regional issues.
“Establishment of security and lasting stability is possible only if all countries in the region contribute their share and play a positive role,” IRNA quoted Rouhani as saying in a meeting with Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh in Tehran on late Saturday.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran only seeks to promote regional security, stability and development,” he said, adding, “Regional problems can be resolved only by regional countries themselves through convergence and collective cooperation, which is a common goal among all nations,” IRNA reported.
Noting that “proper addressing of regional problems depends on an accurate understanding of realities, identifying the root causes of problems and (ensuring) collective cooperation,” Rouhani cautioned, “Resorting to terrorist groups, such as al Qaeda, to achieve short-term goals would inflict long-term losses on the whole region.”
Pointing to the suffering of the people in the region, particularly those in Palestine, Gaza and Lebanon, caused by Israel, he said, “Security and stability in Middle Eastern countries will reach an acceptable level only when international and regional pressure is exerted to compel the Israeli regime to abandon aggression and crime.”
“The Islamic Republic has always warned against the spread of terrorism and stressed international cooperation and involvement as the only way to prevent it,” president said, noting that it is undeniable that terrorism is a threat to all countries.
International Threat
Referring to the recent gruesome murder of a Jordanian pilot by the so-called Islamic State (IS) terrorist group, Rouhani said terrorists “have no mercy on anyone” and such despicable acts “prove that terrorism is an international threat.”
Elsewhere, Rouhani stressed that “Iran sees no limit to expansion of its relations with Muslim and regional countries, including Jordan,” saying, “Iranian and Jordanian people have had a close and good relationship since old times and today, the level of cooperation and ties between the two countries should be boosted.”
He praised the Lebanese nation and government for hosting Palestinian refugees and offering “generous hospitality”, expressing Iran’s readiness to collaborate in helping “restore the full rights of the Palestinian nation” and “secure their independence and freedom of the holy al-Quds”.
Judeh , for his part, said, “Iran is considered a very important neighbor for the Arab world,” stressing, “Jordan is seeking to raise the level of its relations with Iran.”
He underlined dialogue as the sole way to address regional conflicts, voicing his support for the settlement of Iran’s nuclear issue through “negotiations.”
Regarding Amman’s position on the Palestinian issue, the senior diplomat said, “The Palestinians should have the right to establish their government on their own land with the holy al-Quds as the capital,” adding, “This stance forms the cornerstone of Jordan’s foreign policy.”
