Zarif: Regional Rivalry Should Turn Into Friendship, Mutual Interest

New York, Sept 23, IRNA – Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said rivalries in the region should turn into friendship and joint efforts to safeguard mutual interests. He made the remark here on Monday in a meeting with the Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Ayad Madani. Zarif is here for a new round of nuclear talks. During the meeting, Zarif stressed the need for correcting the past wrong policies regarding the regional issues and warned against expansion of terrorism and extremism. He urged the Islamic world to avoid factional tendencies and called on Muslim nations to actively confront terrorism and extremism. The two politicians further exchanged views on regional developments such as ongoing terrorist operations in Iraq. They stressed that terrorism and radicalism were two serious threats which could tarnish the image of Islam in the world./end