RNA - "The policies undertaken by the West has fanned insecurity, violence, and terrorism in the region," Zarif said.
He also criticized the West's policies and funneling arms to the region and reassured that Iran has always been critical of westerners’ role in the region.
The Iranian foreign minister, meantime, pointed to his recent visit to Tajikistan, and said, "During this round of the meetings in Dushanbe, we assessed the goals and objectives defined in the '2025 ECO Prospects' which was formerly adopted in the Islamabad meeting of ECO, the adoption of the New ECO Program on Assistance to Afghanistan, as well as the administrative and financial issues of the Organization.
According to Fars News Agancy, in relevant remarks on Tuesday, Zarif warned against the threats posed by the extremist and terrorist groups to the member-states of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO).
"Violent extremism continues to represent a threat to the ECO region," Zarif said, addressing the 23rd ministerial meeting of Economic Cooperation Organization in Tajikistan.
The Iranian foreign minister reiterated that the mutually reinforcing foreign intervention and terrorism and extremism have destabilized many parts of our wider region for close to two decades, and said, "Geopolitics of the region that we share has become ever more complicated mostly due to uncertainties and persistent challenges triggered by systemic transitional fluidity since the 1990s."
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