US Attempt to Repeat Cold War Reveals Its Weakness: Iranian President

In an hour-long telephone conversation on Friday evening, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping discussed major international and regional developments and emphasized on strengthening bilateral cooperation as much as possible.

President Raisi described the US interference in the internal affairs of countries as a continuation of that country's destructive policy of unilateralism, which has now become a threat to global peace and security.

He said that respect for national sovereignty and preserving the territorial integrity of the countries are the fundamental principles of the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The president also described the support for the One China policy as the definitive and principled policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, his official website reported.

Stressing Iran's determination to comprehensively develop relations with China regardless of the international developments, Raisi described independent cooperation based on the national interests of the sovereign countries as the correct model of governance at the regional and international levels.

He also emphasized the need for justice and fairness to prevail in the emerging international order, describing any American attempt to repeat the Cold War pattern in the world as a sign of its weakness and decline.

In response to the Chinese president's praise of the policy of developing relations and cooperation between Iran and its neighbors, President Raisi said, "This approach of the Islamic Republic of Iran has provided the necessary foundations for security and collective development in West Asia and can be a model to strengthen the political trust and economic development in the region."

The Iranian president also referred to the negotiations to lift the sanctions, and said that it is imperative for the American side, as a violator of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), to make its political decision, as well as the country's action to cancel the illegal sanctions against Iran and third parties.

Raisi further welcomed the development of multilateral economic cooperation in the context of regional and extra-regional arrangements such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS group.

The Iranian and Chinese presidents also agreed on the development of strategies and acceleration in the implementation of the 25-year comprehensive cooperation plan by proposing cooperation development initiatives. They also expressed satisfaction with the development of relations and a leap in the commercial exchanges between the two countries in the past year.

For his part, President Xi Jinping appreciated the cooperation between Iran and China in the international arena and the mutual support of the two countries for each other's positions in the regional and international fields.

Highlighting the importance of maintaining regional stability and the constructive role of Iran in this regard, Xi emphasized that China is against the policy of pressure and unilateralism.

Emphasizing the strategic importance of China-Iran relations and his country's efforts to strengthen and develop the key strategic and security cooperation between the two countries, especially in the commercial, economic, infrastructure and energy fields, the Chinese president stated, "The implementation of the 25-year comprehensive cooperation document between the two countries is a big step in this direction, and on this basis, I am issuing the necessary orders for the development of all-round strategic relations with Iran, including in the economic field."