Iran seeks ‘maximum interaction’ with all countries: President

Tehran, Jan 21 (IANS) Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has said that his country seeks “maximum interaction” with all countries, especially its neighbours and allies.

Through the interactions and cooperation, the mutual interests of countries are met and the “civilized global community” is formed, Raisi said when addressing the plenary session of Russia’s Duma during his visit to Moscow, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the presidential website.

The “successful” model of cooperation between Iran and Russia in Syria has guaranteed the independence of the country and strengthened regional security, he noted.

Raisi also mentioned the presence of foreign forces in the region and US sanctions, saying that “the hegemonic strategy has now failed, and the US is at its weakest point, and the power of independent states is in historic growth.”

The US claims that the sanctions are due to Iran’s nuclear activities, but Iran’s activities are “under the constant supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency,” he added.

The fact is that in different historical periods of Iran, whenever the Iranians have raised the banner of nationalism, independence, or scientific development, it has faced sanctions and pressure from the enemies of the Iranian nation, he said.

The Iranian policy is that “we are not looking for a nuclear weapon, and this weapon has no place in our defence strategy,” the president stressed.

Raisi pointed to the process of ongoing talks between Iran and world powers over its nuclear program in the Austrian capital of Vienna, and said that “Iran is serious about reaching an agreement if the other parties are serious about lifting the sanctions effectively.”

The Iranian president, who heads a delegation, arrived in Moscow on Wednesday for a visit at the invitation of his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

–IANS

int/shs