Iran’s Top Diplomat Holds Meetings in New York
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who is in New York for the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), held talks with his counterparts and other high-ranking officials from several countries.
In separate meetings on Friday on the fringes of the 74th session of the UNGA, Zarif held talks with the foreign ministers of Iraq, Finland, the Netherlands, Armenia, Nicaragua, Cuba, and Tajikistan about a range of issues, including the latest developments in the region and the world.
The top diplomat also discussed ways to promote bilateral relations between the Islamic Republic and the foreign countries.
Zarif also met with the vice president of Venezuela and the UN secretary-general’s special envoy for Syria.
Earlier, in remarks at a United Nations Security Council meeting titled UN Cooperation with Regional Organizations on Wednesday, Zarif underlined the need for regional cooperation to ensure security in the Persian Gulf, calling on the countries in the region to join the HOPE initiative to that effect.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani presented the initiative while delivering a speech at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday and invited all regional countries to participate in it.
“The initiative is based on the fact that all regional countries are duty-bound to ensure peace, stability and prosperity in the region. Together with the international community, they have common interests in maintaining freedom of navigation and energy transfer,” Zarif said.
These regional efforts are necessary to prevent war, conflict, violence, extremism, terrorism and sectarian tensions, he added.