Cooperation with Neighbors Strategic Policy of Iran: Deputy FM

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Ali Baqeri held a meeting with Secretary General of Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ahmed bin Hassan Al-Hammadi in Tehran on Tuesday.

Prioritizing neighbors is a basic strategy and not a short-lived tactic of Iran, Baqeri told the Qatari delegation in the meeting, held within the framework of the Iran-Qatar Political Consultative Committee.

“If we hesitate to pay the price of regional interaction and convergence, the costs of disagreement and divergence will undoubtedly be imposed on everyone,” the Iranian diplomat said.

He also noted that the price of regional interaction and convergence will be creating and strengthening mutual political trust and strengthening economic ties.

Baqeri also referred to the fact that the national and regional interests overlap, saying there is no conflict between national interests and the collective interests of the countries in the region.

Foreigners must not be allowed to use the pretext of conflict of national interests of regional countries as a cover to legitimize their hegemonic policies, he underlined.

Baqeri added that the involvement of foreigners and their military presence in the Persian Gulf will not create stability and security, and that the countries of the region can ensure stability and security through political cooperation and economic convergence.

Describing Iran's regional interaction and cooperation as a "strategic policy" not a "temporary tactic", he said the stability of the neighborhood policy in the region is based on convergence and proximity of regional nations and resistance against foreign intervention.

Baqeri also said that the existing relationship between the two sides is still significantly distant from what it should be, so all capacities should be used to improve relations.

For his part, the Qatari diplomat referred to the successful visit by the Iranian president to Doha in February, the forthcoming visit that the Emir of Qatar will pay to Iran, and the formation of a political consultation committee, saying relations between the two countries are broad and deep.

He added that the Qatari government considers the development and expansion of bilateral cooperation and the holding of regional political consultations with Iran as an added value for the realization of peace and stability in the region.

Highlighting the history of strong relations between Iran and Qatar at different popular and governmental levels, which dates back to before the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Al-Hammadi added, “The roots of friendly ties between the two sides are so strong that no incident in the history of relations has been able to disrupt it, and this pattern of relations can be offered among regional countries and other nations, and a few years ago, during the embargo on Qatar imposed by some countries in the region, it was the Islamic Republic of Iran that cooperated and provided sincere assistance to Qatar.”

He also stressed the need to strengthen regional dialogue to eliminate problems and facilitate cooperation between the two sides, and said that the bilateral agreements are being seriously pursued by the Qatari side.

At the end of the meeting, the minutes of the first meeting of the Political Consultative Committee of Iran and Qatar were signed by the two deputy foreign ministers.