Regional crises and the rise of terrorism have hampered the economic progress of Asia and the only path toward prosperity is to make decisions independent of major powers that benefit from chaos in the eastern world, Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani said on Thursday.
“Security in some parts of Asia is in shambles, which has been mainly caused by major powers and the Zionist [Israeli] regime. By provoking crisis and breeding terrorism, they have created a situation that has practically hindered the economic progress of those regions,” he told the 11th plenary session of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly in Istanbul, Turkey, ICANA reported.
Asian nations’ own interests and priorities should determine the nature of their economic, political and security cooperation with the West, Larijani said
Larijani said the United States resorted to sanctions and other economic tools after the end of the Cold War and several Asian countries have been targeted by US economic war or “unreasonable tariffs” in continuation of its warmongering policies in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya and Yemen.
His comments were an apparent reference to the sanctions reimposed on Iran by the Trump administration after Washington’s withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and the ongoing US-China tariff fight.
US Bullying
Some Asian countries have given in to US demands due to domestic political problems, which have only encouraged America to pursue its bullying policies more aggressively, Larijani said.
He added that Asia's young and skilled workforce, vast energy resources, ancient civilization, cultural diversity and strong defense capabilities can help elevate the region’s global economic status.
The parliament speaker underlined the importance of “independent decision-making” by Asian governments, while clarifying that it does not mean adopting inward-looking policies that could lead to isolation.
“As Asia’s economy is integrated with the world economy, it cannot find an independent status all at once, but if it does not set independent goals for itself in a gradual manner, it will be tying its hands more tightly in the future,” he said.
"Asian nations’ interests and priorities should determine the nature of their economic, political and security cooperation with the West."
Parliamentary Cooperation
Larijani noted that Asian parliaments can help pave the way for the accomplishment of this goal, facilitate financial and trade transactions between governments and counter security crises through regional cooperation.
He said certain countries have been seeking to sow discord between Asian nations through “manufactured crises” in order to prevent them from achieving their rightful position in the world.
At a press conference the same day, Larijani said the joint work by Iran, Russia, Turkey and Syria on defusing war in the Arab country is a successful example of multinational cooperation aimed at addressing challenges facing Asia.
“This model can be applied to various economic, security and political issues in the region,” he was quoted as saying by ICANA.
