The chairman of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Islamic Consultative Assembly said, “The presence of the United States and the dominating powers in the region has brought nothing but war and the growth of terrorism.” RNA – During a meeting with the Australian Ambassador to Iran, Ms. Lyndall Sachs, Hujjat al-Islam Mojtaba Zonnour, the chairman of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, positively assessed the history of relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Australia and said, “The will of the Islamic Republic of Iran is to strengthen comprehensive relations with Australia. Tehran always welcomes the promotion of relations and the expansion of cooperation in various fields with Canberra.”
The representative of the people of Qom in the Islamic Consultative Assembly considered the role of Iran-Australia parliamentary cooperation in strengthening the relations between the two countries important and said, “The establishment of a parliamentary friendship group between the two countries to develop and strengthen parliamentary relations and interactions between these groups will improve the level of relations between the two countries.”
He expressed dissatisfaction with Australia’s joining the United States-led coalition in the region under the pretext of maritime security and said, “The security of the region can neither be imported nor bought, but the security of the region is achieved through the planning, interaction and participation of the countries of the region, and the presence of the United States and foreign and trans-regional countries has increased insecurity and instability.”
Hujjat al-Islam Zonnour emphasized, “The presence of the United States and the dominating powers in the region has brought nothing but war and the growth of terrorism and the presence of the Iranian navy has had a great impact on limiting the evils of pirates in the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Oman and the Gulf of Aden.”
His Eminence considered Australia’s joining the United States-led coalition as tarnishing Australia’s reputation in the eyes of nations and as undermining the country’s relations with Iran.
He expressed regret over the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s concern over the reduction of the implementation of Iran’s commitments to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in a letter to the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran [Hasan Rouhani] and said, “Instead, the Australian Prime Minister should have corresponded with [American President Donald] Trump and European leaders, urging them to fulfill their commitments to the JCPOA, not jeopardize this global treaty and not put economic and medical pressure on the Iranian people by imposing oppressive sanctions.”
Hujjat al-Islam Zonnour stated, “Iran has always fulfilled all of its obligations and duties to the JPCOA and the unfaithfulness of the United States and Europe’s irresponsibility has led the loss of the inalienable rights of the Iranian people and it’s natural and fair that until the other side returns to fulfill its obligations, Iran should also reduce the level of its actions.”
Referring to Iran’s special position in the Middle East, he said, “The strategic position of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as regional stability and security, has created a smooth path for investment and development of trade, commerce and tourism interactions with Australia.”
Ambassador Sachs also called the meeting a good opportunity to strengthen cooperation and expand interaction at various parliamentary levels, adding that there are many commonalities for developing and deepening relations between the two countries.
She stated, “Parliamentary interactions are the turning point of the relations between the two countries and the expansion of interactions and exchanges between the two countries through their respective parliaments will be very important.”
Rasa News Agency
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