Iran FM Official: West Should Answer For Failure To Protect Living Environment

Tehran, June 27, IRNA – Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for International Affairs Mohammad Mehid Akhoundzadeh said that western countries should answer for their failure to protect the living environment and the sustainable development. Talking to IRNA, he said the western countries were now in a defensive position. He said they should not only answer for their actions but promise that they will not cause troubles for developing countries. Commenting on the three-day Rio+20 which was recently held in Brazil, he said Iran played an effective role there by offering its views and proposals during its various meetings. Stressing that the presence of the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the meeting was of particular significance, he said countries expected Iran, as the next head of the Non-Aligned Movement, to have an active presence in all international issues to demonstrate its capacities. Akhounzadeh further referred to the challenge between the developing countries and the West as the main feature of the meeting and said the disputes arose because developing countries maintained that the industrial countries have not been faithful to their commitments in the past./end