A senior diplomat said the nuclear pact between Iran and world powers proves that diplomacy is the best option to solve disputes between countries.
In an address to the fifth foreign ministerial meeting of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia held in the Chinese capital Beijing on Thursday, Deputy Foreign Minister Morteza Sarmadi said the accord has paved the way for broadening much-needed interactions in Asia.
"This deal has promoted solidarity in the region and prepared the ground for cooperation, interaction and trust building in Asia," he said. "Iran is now an ideal base for bilateral and multilateral cooperation ... which Asia strongly needs."
The July 2015 deal was reached after two years of tireless negotiations and came into force on January 16 to remove international sanctions against Iran in exchange for temporary curbs on its nuclear program.
Sarmadi noted that the continent is facing many challenges.
"Unfortunately, the spread of terrorism, extremism, sectarianism and separatism ... in Asia is hurting its nations," he said.
The high-ranking diplomat said collective measures need to be taken by Asian states to counter the problems.
"Deepening cooperation, promoting peace, dialogue and interaction, [encouraging] negotiations between civilizations, respecting diversity of opinions and showing tolerance, in addition to the political will of leaders, are needed to defeat extremism and terrorism," he said, adding that CICA can greatly help attain the goal.
The deputy foreign minister stressed Tehran's commitment to help build up trust and foster collaboration in Asia, especially among CICA members.
China a Reliable Partner
After taking part in the event, Sarmadi met high-ranking officials on the sidelines.
In a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday, Sarmadi praised the recent trip of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Tehran aimed at transforming already close ties to a strategic partnership, noting that developing relations with China is a high priority for Iran.
Wang said China is a reliable trade partner for Iran, adding that Beijing is considering ideas to broaden collaboration with Tehran.
The ministerial meeting of CICA opened in Beijing on Thursday morning, bringing together representatives of 40 members, observer states, organizations and other international bodies.
CICA has 26 member countries, including Iran, and eight other countries plus four international organizations as observers.
The organization was found in 1992 to help promote peace, security and stability in the Asian continent.
