Western Coalitions Not Targeting Terrorism

Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Tuesday received Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bakir Izetbegovic, who has traveled to Tehran at the head of a high-level economic and political delegation to discuss ways of strengthening bilateral ties.

In the meeting, Ayatollah Khamenei blamed the spread of terrorism around the world on the hawkish policies of western countries.

"The military coalition of western governments against terrorism is not real … and such coalitions are not really meant to eradicate terrorism," he said.  

The Bosnian president expressed regret over sectarian conflicts in Muslim societies and said Muslims are obligated to promote unity, as discord will weaken the Muslim community.

Izetbegovic stressed that his country intends to consolidate relations with Muslim countries.  

Earlier in the day, Izetbegovic and his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani, chaired a joint meeting with the visiting delegation on Tuesday, which saw the signing of a memorandum of understanding, particularly aimed at bolstering cooperation between their small- and medium-sized industries.   

The two presidents then attended a joint press conference where Rouhani highlighted the ever-friendly bilateral relations.

"This trip will undoubtedly mark the beginning of an era of rapid development in Tehran-Sarajevo relations," he said.

Rouhani said the meeting covered discussions to expand trade, cultural and tourism ties as well as cooperation between the two countries' private sectors, his official website reported.

"We agreed that a list of potential areas of cooperation would be discussed in a meeting of the two countries' joint commission in Sarajevo in December," he said.

Rouhani noted that the meeting also addressed regional issues, including the campaign to block the spread of terrorism.

Izetbegovic said the removal of sanctions on the Islamic Republic under the 2015 Iran nuclear deal bodes well for cooperation.

"The sanctions caused a temporary halt to bilateral relations. We were delighted to hear the news of the nuclear agreement and the subsequent lifting of sanctions, which have created a favorable opportunity for improving our collaboration," he said.

The sanctions relief was granted in return for temporary restrictions on Iran's civilian nuclear program.

Izetbegovic said Iran's engagement with Bosnia and Herzegovina will give it a gateway into the vast, opportunity-rich European market.

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto is also in Tehran to hold consultations with Rouhani, which are focused on regional and global issues as well as bilateral trade cooperation.