You can’t build a wall between nations: Rouhani

EghtesadOnline: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday it was not the time to build walls between nations.

News ID: ۷۳۹۴۵۷

28 January 2017

“Today is not the time to build walls between nations. It has been forgotten that the Berlin wall fell years ago. If there is a wall we should fall it not to build the new one,” Rouhani said in an opening session of 17th World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (WFTGA) International Convention in Tehran.

“Nullifying world trade accords does not help the economy and does not serve the development and blooming of the world economy,” Rouhani criticized steps towards canceling world trade agreements, without naming new U.S. President Donald Trump. “This is the day for the world to get closer through trade.”

According to ILNA, Trump on Wednesday ordered the construction of a U.S.-Mexican border wall, a major promise during his election campaign, as part of a package of measures to curb illegal immigration.

He formally withdrew the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal on Monday, fulfilling a campaign pledge to end American involvement in the 2015 pact.

Rouhani said on Saturday: “Today is the time for peaceful co-existence, not the time to create distance among nations. Iran always condemns racism. In Iran, there are peaceful co-existence between various ethnics, religions and cultures. We have a rich culture and we proud peace, reconciliation, brotherhood and co-existence.”

“The current world is not the one that can create distance between nations and lands on it. Today is the day of neighborhood because we are all neighbors scientifically and culturally,” he added.