FM: Iran Keen On Co-op With UN On Regional Issues

Tehran, Sept 16, IRNA – Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Sunday Iran is keen on cooperation with the United Nations on regional issues, recalling Iranian excellent cooperation with the UN in humanitarian affairs and emergency aid to refugees and migrants. Zarif made the remarks in a meeting with the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos who is currently in Iran at the head of a high-ranking delegation. Referring to the sensitive and complicated situation in the region, including the Syrian crisis, he reminded Iranian political and diplomatic efforts to help resolve the Syrian crisis in a peaceful way as well as its humanitarian aid to the Arab state. Underlining Iranian principled stance vis-à-vis the Syrian crisis and resolving it through diplomacy as well as opposing stockpiling chemical weapons by anybody and anywhere, Zarif expressed pleasure with the diplomatic efforts to pass through the sensitive stage. He hoped that the UN along with other influential countries would play an effective and constructive role to pursue the issue until complete resolution of the crisis. Pointing to Iranian good experience to counter natural disasters both inside and outside the country, he voiced Iranian readiness to share experience and closer cooperation with the UN office in Tehran. Amos, for her part, underscored Iran’s influential role in regional developments, further promotion of humanitarian affairs and shipment of relief aid supplies to certain countries including Syria. She described her talks with Iranian officials in Tehran as useful and good, and hailed capacities of the Iranian humanitarian organizations in the field of humanitarian affairs and emergency relief. She called for further cooperation between Iranian organizations and UN office in Tehran in the aftermath of humanitarian crises taking place in the Middle East. Expressing concern over continued insecurity in Syria and the rising number of refugees and migrants, she hoped that the crisis would be resolved through the efforts of the influential states including Iran and security and stability would return to the Arab country./end