Iran on Thursday signed a cooperation treaty with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif described as an opportunity to work more closely with Southeast Asia.
“Iran has had good cooperation with ASEAN nations in the past. From now an opportunity will open up for Iran to get closer to the fifth largest economic group in the world and a significant economic bloc in Southeast Asia that has had a successful record,” Zarif told IRNA after signing the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Singapore.
He was referring to the fact that ASEAN, which represents economies with a combined GDP of around $2.4 trillion, is collectively considered the world’s fifth largest economic group.
The ASEAN meeting came months after US President Donald Trump pulled out of an international nuclear agreement with Iran and says wants to reduce the Islamic Republic’s oil exports.
Diplomatic Achievement
Zarif said the senior officials whom he met on the sidelines of the conference underlined the need to save the nuclear accord as it represents a “diplomatic achievement”.
They emphasized that countries should adopt a stance independent of the United States on the 2015 deal—formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action—and find innovative ways to maintain trade ties with Tehran.
“This year, ASEAN has chosen the theme of resilience and innovation. Both the subjects are very important under current circumstances and demonstrate the fact that unilateral polices, which are in contravention of international law, have compelled countries to pursue measures that would make them strong in order to confront such policies.”
Singapore, as the bloc’s chair for 2018, is pushing for a “resilient and innovative” ASEAN so that its members could weather the difficult times in the global environment.
“The officials I met see their interest in the survival of the JCPOA as well as the continuation and expansion of relations with Iran,” Zarif noted, emphasizing the need and significance of closer ties between the private sectors of Iran and its partners.
Bilateral Talks
Zarif conferred with the prime minister of Singapore and his counterparts, including the foreign ministers of Russia, Turkey, Japan, China and the Philippines.
He discussed developments related to saving the nuclear agreement with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in a phone conversation on Thursday, the Foreign Ministry in Tehran reported.
In his talk with IRNA, Zarif said he will not meet with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during the American diplomat’s presence in Singapore.
“The current [US] administration has shown that it is not committed to its obligations, and meeting for the sake of meeting is pointless. The Americans need to show that meetings produce agreements and those agreements are upheld,” he added.
China’s Role
In talks with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Zarif described China’s support for the nuclear deal as “pivotal”.
“China’s role in the implementation of JCPOA, in achieving it and now in sustaining it will be pivotal,” he said.
Zarif also called on the president and foreign minister of Singapore.
In the meeting with President Halimah Yacob on Friday, Zarif hailed the growing relations between the two countries and called for closer interaction in diverse fields.
The two sides exchanged views on regional and international issues as well as the 2015 nuclear deal.
Earlier in the day, Zarif met with his Singaporean counterpart, Vivian Balakrishnan, discussing a range of issues, including ways to boost bilateral relations in all areas.
