Pezeshkian: We need genuine multilateralism in region

Pars Today- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, speaking at the summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) leaders for the first time with Iran participating as a special guest, stressed the need for genuine multilateralism in the region and proposed establishing a “CIS+1” mechanism to expand transit, energy, trade, and cultural cooperation.

According to Pars Today, citing IRNA, Pezeshkian said in his address to the CIS summit that the region needs greater resilience than ever against war, crises, external pressure, and disruptions to economic and communication routes. Success in this endeavor, he stressed, depends above all on connecting the region’s capacities.

“Our shared interests lie not in competition between routes, but in connecting them,” he said.

For Central Asia, the Islamic Republic of Iran is not merely a partner, Pezeshkian noted, but a natural route connecting Central Asia and Eurasia to open waters. Iran’s southern ports in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, particularly Chabahar, can connect the region to South Asia, Africa, and ultimately Europe.

He said that the Islamic Republic of Iran considers itself a natural part of the region’s interconnected geography, adding that these ties are not merely geographical but are also rooted in history, culture, civilization, and people-to-people connections.

“On this basis, the Islamic Republic of Iran proposes establishing a ‘Commonwealth of Independent States + Iran’ or ‘CIS+1’ format as a flexible and effective mechanism for dialogue and cooperation. This would enable us to expand joint cooperation in transit, energy, trade, mining, investment, technology, water and the environment, tourism, and scientific and cultural exchanges,” he said.

Pezeshkian also stressed that the choice today is not simply between isolation and dependence. Rather, countries must connect their capacities so that each can benefit from the advantages of this shared geography while preserving its independence and national choices.

“We want connectivity instead of disconnection; cooperation instead of exhausting competition; interdependence instead of one-sided dependence; and security based on trust and shared interests instead of security based on threats,” he said.