Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani held separate meetings with his counterparts on Tuesday on the sidelines of the 131st IPU (The Inter-Parliamentary Union) Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.
Larijani met with parliament speakers of Kuwait, Afghanistan and Algeria as well as representatives of several other countries.
During a meeting with the chairman of the Pakistani senate, Nayyar Hussain Bukhari, the two sides discussed terrorism and border security, IRNA reported. Larijani urged Pakistani authorities to play a more serious role in combating terrorism especially following the latest incidents in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan.
Last week, a number of Iranian police personnel lost their lives in separate terrorist attacks near the Iranian-Pakistani border. Tehran and Islamabad have similar positions regarding fighting terrorism; however, such incidents in Iran’s eastern borders have raised “concerns” that could negatively impact bilateral relations, the parliament speaker added.
Larijani also met with Kuwaiti National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim.
“What is taking place in the region as part of Islamic State’s (IS) terrorist actions in Syria and Iraq is the outcome of the wrong policies of western and regional countries and their poor assessment of the situation,” Larijani pointed out.
“Those countries that supported IS have now joined (the US-led) coalition … however most of members of these terror groups are from the very same countries.”
For his part, Al-Ghanim described the current situation in Iraq and Syria as “shocking” and “suspicious”. He also called for collective and joint efforts among regional nations to help Iraq resolve the ongoing conflict.
In another meeting with his Algerian counterpart Abdul Qadir bin Saleh, the Majlis speaker said, “The current situation in the region demonstrates that the US is incapable of leading the fight against terrorism.”
The Algerian parliament speaker, for his part, highlighted the necessity of constant cooperation among regional countries to overcome the challenges.
Larijani had also met separately with counterparts from Syria, Lebanon, Serbia, and Bangladesh on Monday.
The IPU Assembly which started on Sunday will run until October 16. Established in 1889, the union is the focal point for worldwide parliamentary dialogue. The IPU works closely with the United Nations. It also cooperates with international intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. The IPU includes 145 parliament member states which convene assemblies twice a year (in the spring and autumn) every time in a different country. The organization is financed primarily by its members and has its headquarters in Geneva.
