Araghchi: Iran's good relations with Arab world have granted valuable achievements for Islamic civilization and world

Pars Today- Iran's foreign minister said, "The Islamic Republic of Iran considers access to and using nuclear weapons haram (religiously forbidden) and has always been a member of the [Nuclear] Non-Proliferation Treaty."

Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, said on Saturday during the 4^th round of the "Iran-Arab World Dialogue Conference", "No doubt, Iran's good relations with the Arab world, through history and in the framework of the great Islamic civilization, have granted valuable achievements to the Islamic civilization and the entire world which are now considered among the common Islamic heritage and bring honor for us." According to Pars Today, Araghchi said that the Islamic Republic completely believes in the principle of dialogue both in the regional and international level.

He reiterated, "According to the principled policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, we insist upon the materialization of regional consensus. We have witnessed many developments in the past year in West Asia. Despite being bitter, these developments have caused the regional countries to have closer views and brought them to a common understanding in confronting developments and threats."

Zionist entity main source of threat for regional peace

Iran's top diplomat added, "We have realized that our commonalities are plenty and much more than differences, most of which have been forged and imposed from outside. Yet, today, one cannot speak of materialization of the objectives of the Islamic world while closing eyes to the oppression exercised against the Palestinian nation. The Zionist entity is the most important source of threat for peace in the region and the US has stood in the position of accomplice and partner of crimes of this regime through supporting it."

Noting that the Zionist regime's aggression has aimed at destroying and undermining the Islamic countries, carnage in them and occupy as many countries of the region as possible, he made it clear, "Countering these mischiefs is the legal and moral duty of all regional governments. This discourse development has to be in a way to replace the policy of balance with the principle of participation, just as the mentioned discourse development requires cooperation in the fields such as cultural exchanges, tourism and trade. Growth and flourishing depends on the approach of a strong region rather than a strong country; and this meeting is a step towards replacement of confrontation with mutual understanding and it must be expanded."

Iran deems as haram to access and use nuclear weapons

Araghchi, pointing to the indirect talks of Iran and the US, whose fourth round is going to be held on Sunday (May 11), said, "The Islamic Republic of Iran deems it as haram to gain access and use nuclear weapons and has always been a member of the system of international non-proliferation, but simultaneously, insists on its right to peaceful usage of the nuclear energy including enrichment. We are not in pursuit of nuclear weapons and, principally, weapons of mass destruction have no status in Iran's security doctrine. Therefore, we have been among the initiators of creating a region devoid of nuclear weapons in West Asia. We will continue our negotiations with the US government and concurrently with Europe, Russia and China with goodwill."

Iran's foreign minister stated, "It is necessary that the Western countries and all those who claim to confront nuclear weapons to refrain from double standards. One cannot claim to be worried about the peaceful nuclear energy of Iran and other regional countries on the one hand, while allowing an occupying, aggressive and genocidal regime to possess the great nuclear weapons arsenal, on the other hand."

Islamic Republic never to withdraw from honorable Iranian nation's rights

The Iranian foreign minister also said, "If the aim of these talks is to gain confidence about Iran's non-access to nuclear weapons, this is to achieve what has been already achieved. Thus, reaching an agreement is completely at hand. But, if the aim is to deprive Iran of its nuclear rights and other unreal and illogical demands, I must say expressly that the Islamic Republic of Iran will not retreat from any of the rights of the honorable Iranian nation under any circumstances."  

RM/MG