Foreign intervention plaguing West Asia: Iran’s Zarif

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif gives an address to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in New York, July 19, 2017.

Iran’s foreign minister has blamed the crises gripping West Asian nations on the interventionist policies pursued by outsiders, warning that extremists are exploiting the foreign-backed mayhem in the region to wreak havoc on the entire world.

In an address to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in New York on Wednesday, Mohammad Javad Zarif said the West Asia region is suffering from wars and internal conflicts that are dragging millions into “absolute poverty.”

He also emphasized the need to fight poverty in West Asia, which is at the same time the cause and effect of insecurity in the region, calling for efforts to eliminate the problem and help restore stability to the region.

Foreign occupation and meddling, wars and conflicts have not only robbed West Asia residents of their wealth and natural resources, but also deprived them of their right to dignity and freedom, Zarif pointed out.

Backed by certain regional and international actors, the terrorists are making use of their Takfiri ideology to plague the region and the whole world with ugly crimes.

He further cited the situation in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Yemen as the most bitter examples of human catastrophes.

Elsewhere in his address, Zarif enumerated Iran’s achievements and experience in resistance economy, poverty eradication, social justice, food security, protection of environment, health care and education.

After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran established a legal and legislative framework to serve as a solid platform for planning, implementing and following up on national development strategies, particularly with regard to poverty eradication, he said.

Iran’s policies have led to considerable achievements despite outside challenges from Iraq’s 1980s war on the country to US sanctions against the Islamic Republic, he noted.

Zarif also expressed Iran’s readiness to cooperate with those parties that are interested in eradicating poverty and preserving the environment.

He called on developed countries to fulfill their commitments on the provision of financial resources and transfer of technology, without politicizing that process.