Zarif: Post-JCPOA diplomacy seeking to invigorate domestic economy

EghtesadOnline: Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the main mission of Iran’s diplomatic Corps after the nuclear deal is to reinvigorate national economy.

News ID: ۷۳۶۳۶۰

30 August 2016

In an interview with 'Iran' newspaper published on Tuesday, he said based on the views of the Supreme Leader, Iran’s foreign policies at the present juncture should work to serve the Resistance Economy purposes.

He said his ministry now aimed at removing hurdles on the process of country’s development rather being an obstacle itself, reports IRNA.

He said the outcome of nuclear talks which also included removal of sanctions was that it cleared the way for the Iranian diplomatic apparatus to serve economic development policies.

To help promote the objectives of the Resistance Economy, the minister added, his ministry is working to first remove all obstacles on the way of expanding economic relations with the world and then set targets for Iran’s diploamct missions abroad for enhancing economic relations with other countries.

He said the visits of all diplomatic delegations to Iran in the post-JCPOA era have also aimed to promote the development and Resistance Economy objectives.

He said domestic investors should be encouraged to use their assets to reinforce production and employment and the foreign investors too should have a feeling of security to enter investment projects in the country.

Zarif said the government of President Hassan Rouhani has been following certain policies to encourage foreign investments in the country.

Noting that Iran has achieved much so far in shipping and insurance areas as well as the oil ministry, the foreign minister said foreign contracts and those which need finance systems are usually a very prolonged procedure.

He went on to comment on the diverse views on the content and implementation of the JCPOA within the iranian society and said at the first some thought it impossible for the country to achieve the results we now have out of the nuclear agreement.

Before the Geneva Convention, he said, some critics said it would be impossible to have nuclear enrichment on the Iranian soil while anything Iran was seeking out of the nuclear agreement was later materialized.

Then Iran achieved all its objectives in nuclear technology areas, Zarif added.

He said Iran never had nice attitude towards the US.

Had Iran trusted the US, Zarif noted, it would not have gone into details of the deal in such an extent.

From the very beginning, Iran was distrustful of the US and never thought they would be willing to stay with their commitments, the foreign minister added.

He said the JCPOA is a reality now with the Iranian society which should be implemented to force the US not to deny its responsibilities.

As for human rights issues, he said he believed the topic is a two-sided road, meaning that Iran too had its own views to offer.

One question every fair observer will have to ask looking at the present world situation is why most of the people who embark on violence are themselves offspring of the western societies and spoke English or French like their mother tongue.

People would wonder what has happened to them in those societies, how seriously they have been abused and humiliated by those systems to force them into such degree of savagery and violence, he added.

Therefore, Zarif went on to say, any human rights dialogue should be two-way, targeted and purposeful.

He said Iran believed that human rights situation is prone to improvement in every single society, quoting President Rouhani as highlighting civilian rights as major objectives of his program.

He said the President started drafting a civilian rights charter during the first days after his presidency and the foreign ministry too is focusing on the issue which is very important in essence and is being used by some an instrument of political pressures against Iran.

Touching upon the diverse views Iran and European countries hold about the issue of human rights, the foreign minister said the JCPOA could be well used a model to settle differences and develop common views.

Zarif said, “We should start our dialogue, to see to what extent the other parties are willing to consider the issue. I believe there are no reasons for the failure of such talks but still it depends on the political will of the other parties. Normarlly, we see very low amount of this element of political will with the western countries as their views towards the issue of human rights has been influenced by the nature of their mutual ties with countries rather than the real human rights conditions.”

As for regional issues, the foreign minister commented on the Iranian policies towards the recent coup attempt in Turkey, “Our stand towards the failed attempt was rational. It was not acceptable for us to see a neighboring country facing attacks to foundations to its democracy and stay indifferent. We had the same kind of stands towards other regional developments like when Kuwait was attacked by Saddam Army. We brushed aside all our differences with Kuwait and said foreign invasion and foreign occupation is unacceptable. Iran’s policies on the international arena are highly principled… It is our policy to advocate stability and peace.”

Turning to the latest regional developments like the lowering amount of tension between Turkey and Russia and better harmony between the two on Syrian crises, he said Tehran was ready to cooperate with both Moscow and Ankara as two important and influential capitals in tackling the Syrian issue while emphasizing the point that the Syrian nation is the one to decide about the future of the country.