Iran calls for dialogue to resolve Ukraine crisis

TEHRAN,March 17(MNA) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the Islamic Republic is hopeful that the Ukraine crisis will be resolved through dialogue. “The world is not ready for a new clash and tension,” Zarif said during a joint press conference with his Belarusian counterpart Vladimir Makei in Tehran on Sunday. “A solution should be found based on international law and the will of the people and without resorting to force and through preventing the promotion of extremism and violence in order to restore calm in the region,” he stated. Commenting on a new round of talks between Iran and the 5+1 group (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) over Tehran’s nuclear program, which will begin in Vienna on Tuesday, Zarif said that the two sides do not expect to reach a final agreement in this round of talks. He added that the purpose of the Vienna talks is to exchange views about various dimensions of Iran’s nuclear program, including uranium enrichment and the Arak heavy water reactor, and the lifting of sanctions against the country. “In all these areas we will talk about the ways to build up trust,” the chief diplomat said. He said that it is not difficult to find a solution to the dispute over Tehran’s nuclear work, adding, “Iran’s nuclear program is a reality on the ground which cannot be changed.” On the relationship between Tehran and Minsk, the foreign minister said that bilateral relations in all areas, including political, economic, and scientific spheres, are improving. “Our relations are not against any other country and are based on the needs of the two nations,” he said. The Belarusian foreign minister, for his part, called for a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis and said that neither side should resort to force. Makei also said that Minsk is closely monitoring the situation in Ukraine, adding that the crisis should be resolved through dialogue between all the parties involved in the issue. “We want Ukraine to be an independent country and peace and stability to be established in the country,” he said. In addition, the Belarusian foreign minister said radicalism and extremism which were allowed by the West gave rise to the current situation in Ukraine. Elsewhere in his remarks, Makei expressed hope that the interim nuclear deal between Iran and the major powers, which was struck in Geneva last November, would pave the way for increased commercial relations between the two countries.