Regional Cooperation More Necessary Than Ever: Iran’s FM
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stressed on Wednesday that the need for consultation and cooperation among regional states is felt more than ever, particularly after the recent downing of a Russian jet by Turkey.
Turkish fighter jets shot down a Russian warplane near the Syrian border on Tuesday. Turkey claims the incident happened after repeated warnings over air space violations, but Moscow said it could prove the jet had not left Syrian air space.
With yesterday’s developments, the need for serious international cooperation in the fight against extremism and terrorism is an unconditional priority in the global community, Zarif said in a joint press conference with his visiting Luxembourgian counterpart Jean Asselborn in Tehran.
“We are in a very difficult situation today,” the Iranian minister noted, adding that the need for discussion, dialogue, and consultation is now felt in the region and the international community more than ever.
“We hope a serious and constructive policy is formed for the reinforcement of security and stability in the region and the fight against terrorism at the international level,” Zarif said.
He further called on everyone to exercise restraint as events like what happened yesterday can only serve terrorists and send them a very wrong signal.
Asselborn, for his part, praised Iran as a great country and a very important player in the Middle East, and expressed the hope that Iran would succeed in its efforts for regional security and stability.
“The recent terrorist attacks indicate that the ISIL (Daesh) terrorists are a dangerous group,” he said, adding that the crisis should be resolved using both military activities and political processes.
