Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif underlined that the HOPE initiative (Hormuz Peace Endeavor) raised by his country is aimed at confidence building and protecting the regional states from foreign aggression. RNA - "The Islamic Iran has raised the Hormuz Peace initiative and expects to build confidence with this initiative and prevent aggression against the regional states," Zarif said in a message to a ceremony held at the beginning of the academic year of University of Religions in Qom on Sunday.
He also referred to the extremist streams active in Syria and Iraq wars in recent years, and said, "War against extremism should not be confined to Syria and Iraq and their root causes should be confronted."
In relevant remarks last month, Zarif underlined that the Hormuz Peace Endeavor (HOPE) floated by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at the UN was vital to prevent war and terrorism in the region.
Zarif made the remarks, addressing a meeting of United Nations Security Council on 'UN Cooperation with Regional Organizations' in New York late in September.
He urged the countries in the region to join HOPE initiative which is designed to include all countries of the region and aims to expand cooperation beyond regional security.
"The Initiative is based on the fact that all regional states are duty-bound to ensure peace, stability and prosperity in the region. They along with the global community have common interests in maintaining freedom of navigation and transfer of energy," Zarif said.
The Iranian diplomat stressed that regional cooperation is the key for preventing war, violence, extremism, terrorism and sectarian tensions.
Commenting on objectives of Hormuz peace initiative, he said that promoting solidarity, mutual understanding and peaceful and friendly relations and cooperation among regional states as well as boosting collaboration in uprooting terrorism, extremism and sectarian tensions and making sure about energy security, freedom of shipping and free flow of oil were among the objectives of the initiative.
According to Fars News Agency, Zarif went on to say that regional cooperation was necessary for fighting terrorism, specially in the areas such as the Middle East and Afghanistan where terrorist groups are more active than any other places.
Addressing the UNGA late last month, President Rouhani unveiled Iran's new initiative for the establishment of peace and security in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, and said, " The goal of the Coalition for Hope is to promote peace, stability, progress and welfare for all the residents of the Strait of Hormuz region, and to enhance mutual understanding and peaceful and friendly relations amongst them."
"This initiative includes various venues for cooperation, such as the collective supply of energy security, freedom of navigation and free transfer of oil and other resources to and from the Strait of Hormuz and beyond," he added.
"The Coalition for Hope is based on important principles such as compliance with the goals and principles of the United Nations, mutual respect, equal footing, dialog and understanding, respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, inviolability of international borders, the peaceful settlement of all disputes, and more importantly, the two fundamental principles of non-aggression and non-interference in the domestic affairs of each other. The presence of the United Nations is necessary for the creation of an international umbrella in support of the Coalition for Hope," President Rouhani underlined.
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