“Today, our turbulent region needs a new paradigm for dialogue that can gather everyone together far from differences in order to talk about the ways we could establish peace, stability, and security in the region,” Kharrazi said while addressing the opening ceremony of the “Peace and Stability in West Asia” conference in Tehran Monday (Dec. 17).

He emphasized: “All the countries of this region who have contributed to the great Islamic civilization can follow such a plan. This dialogue could be designed on Islamic civilization and developed to create a climate conducive to tranquility and hoist the flag of the revival of Islamic civilization.

The SCFR president said: “We should see how we can return to the principle of Islamic golden civilization instead of forging coalitions for war in the region. Of course, awakening nations is an important factor, and this can be an Islamic awakening so that we can develop awareness and return to our own civilization.”

Referring to the successful scheme of “Dialogue among Civilizations” raised by the Islamic Republic and its acceptance by the international community, Dr. Kharrazi stated: “The idea of ‘dialogue among civilizations’ was accepted at that time by all countries and international organizations, and today we also need new ideas so that we can put aside our differences and discuss the peace and security of the region.”

Outlining the strategy of the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding the security of the region, Kharrazi said what has happened in recent years in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen shows that Iran’s strategy aimed at creating stability and security with an approach to defending legal governments and popular movements in the region has been the right one.

He added: “We have proved that we will never be silent about the developments in the region and will be present as a stabilizing factor in the region; this very presence has led to the defeat of foreign powers in the region.

Dr. Kharrazi said: “Due to the successful cooperation of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the region, now the conditions are such that the governments that were once opposed to the Syrian government today have changed their strategy and are approaching Damascus and the enemy has been defeated in this region.”

He said the reality of the region is that the Resistance has achieved many victories and the opposition has faced defeat and failure. Under such circumstances, we must first have a thorough analysis of the current situation in the region and then analyze and manage the situation far from bias.

Referring to efforts by the enemies to insinuate Iranophobia in the region, the SCFR president noted that the Islamic Republic of Iran has never sought hegemony, and there are others who, by pulling the US and European powers into the region, are seeking instability and hegemony, but of course they will not achieve their goals.

The SCFR chief added, “Another reality is that many governments in the region do not come to power from the will of the people, and they are authoritarian governments. Governments that are not elected by the people are dependent on foreign powers. As an example, I can mention Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates that are dependent on the US.

Dr. Kharrazi continued, “Yet another reality in the region is that some of our regional leaders are ambitious and this is while they have already experienced its failure. In such a situation and following the victories gained by the Resistance on the battlefields, we must properly use these victories in the political arena and this also requires more serious political mobilization. We are not empty handed, and if we want to be effective in developing peace and stability in the region and in achieving a mechanism that guarantees the security of the region, we must be more active.

Kharrazi noted: “Overall, in the aftermath of the wars and conflicts that have existed in the region, everyone must come to the conclusion that war is not a solution and that war cannot resolve disputes, but should seek non-military solutions.

Dr. Kharrazi then raised the question as to what is the status of the Islamic Republic of Iran in this region and noted: “Everyone acknowledges that Iran is the most stable country in this region. Iran’s main problem with the international powers is that it is against the domination of foreigners over the region.

He went on to mention the friendship of the two peoples of Iran and Iraq as the natural and spiritual influence of Iran in the region, saying: “Iraq was in war with Iran for eight years, but today the people in the two countries are like family members and this is a miracle of history. Of course, some say that Iran is expanding its influence but when this influence is of a natural and spiritual nature, how can it be objected to? Isn’t it true that the West has cultural influence in other countries? Therefore, the superiority of beliefs and values in the Islamic Republic of Iran would naturally result in influencing other countries, and this is different from domination and hegemony.

He also emphasized the urgent need for media work and information dissemination to advance the Islamic Republic’s goals of stability and security in the region, saying: “We have not been able to use the media and social media tools properly in expressing our regional goals and strategies. Enlightenment of public opinion should be one of our goals and we should make more investment in this field.”

SCFR President Addresses Confab on “Peace and Stability in West Asia”

The conference “Peace and Stability in West Asia, One Region, One Fate” opened in the context of the Third Tehran Security Conference Tehran. The conference was held in partnership with the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, the Foreign Ministry’s Institute for Political and International Studies, the Presidential Center for Strategic Studies, the Tehran Security Conference Secretariat, and the International Security Cooperation Foundation.

The next confab will be held January 7, 2018.