Iran’s Rouhani tells Saudis to stop divisive policies in region

Rasa – Iranian President Hasan Rouhani says the Saudi government must stop adopting “divisive” polices with respect to the developments in the Middle East region.

News ID: 423808

Date: 22 September 2016 - 19:39

RNA – “The Saudi government must stop continuing with its divisive policies, disseminating the ideology of hatred and encroaching on the rights of its neighbors and it must shoulder its responsibility with regards to the life and dignity of [Hajj] pilgrims and found its relations on the basis of mutual respect and accepting responsibility towards regional nations” if it seeks a new prospect for its development and the security of the region, President Hasan Rouhani said.

The Iranian president made the remarks during his speech at the 71st UN General Assembly session in New York on Thursday.

For the region to enjoy security and peace, “certain countries in the region must stop bombarding their neighbors and put an end to their support for Takfiri terrorist groups, accept their responsibility and take measures to compensate [for their acts],” the Iranian president added.

Rouhani said countries of the region are well capable of building their future and countering terrorism if they rely on their common grounds, including history and culture.

Pointing to the conflicts gripping regional nations, including the people of Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and the Palestinians, Rouhani warned against the unprecedented rise of violence in the Middle East and North Africa.

He described security as a global issue and said over the past years, world powers have been advancing different methods of “repression and military intervention” under the pretext of removing security concerns for their people.

The issue of borderless terrorism and extremism could be blamed on the security strategies adopted by global powers over the past 15 years, Rouhani said, stressing that security in one part of the world could not be provided and guaranteed at the cost of destabilizing other parts of the globe.

The 71st United Nations General Assembly opened on September 13.

Heading a high-ranking politico-economic delegation, Rouhani arrived in New York on Tuesday to participate in the 71st annual session of the United Nations General Assembly and hold talks with senior officials of some other countries attending the meeting.

Rouhani has met and held talks with several leaders and heads of state on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting.

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