We must be alert against interventionist and arrogant policies

10 May 2012 | 15:34 Code : 1901129 Middle East.
A summary of the speech given by Ali Akbar Salehi, Iran’s Foreign Minister, in the meeting of foreign ministers of the Non-Aligned Movement, held in Egypt.
We must be alert against interventionist and arrogant policies
 “ We believe that in facing present and future challenges, we need to make complete use of this movement’s capacities in order to expand peace, friendship, and justice throughout the world. “

Salehi stated that “Non-intervention in the internal affairs of countries is one of the valuable principles for the establishment in which NAM has made great efforts. Despite progress made in this regard, we must still be alert against interventionist and arrogant policies. Undoubtedly, our efforts in this field will help the prevention of disputes.”
 

He further added, “In NAM documents, we have always condemned the occupation of Palestinian land and the Golan Heights and the deprivation of the people of Palestine from their basic rights, including the right of self-determination. The principles of this movement necessitate the condemnation of arrogant approaches of powers that support human rights violations committed by their allies in the occupied territories. “
 

“During the past year, we have carefully paid attention to the authentic message of the people of this vast region, the message of freedom-seeking and their efforts to reach human dignity. The lesson learned from these developments is that no material power can ignore the people’s legitimate needs, demands and hopes. On this basis, we believe that, at the present time, and more than any other time, dialogue and respecting basic rights and fulfilling the basic needs of the people is the only way out of the dead-end created by dictatorial regimes. “
 

“It is necessary that a domestic and comprehensive political trend be established in these countries so that they can act towards preparing the grounds for participation of all independent political forces in a national dialogue to reach the goals of national reconciliation.”
 

Salehi further reiterated, “The concept of human rights is a concept with common values among all cultures and nations. Iran, as a country with an Islamic and national heritage and as a cradle of civilization, also places great importance on the issue of human rights based on the approach of dialogue and cooperation inside the country and in relations with other countries.”
 

He added, “In previous years, the Non-Aligned Movement has always rejected imposing domestic rights and taking forceful political and social measures, including unilateral economic sanctions against certain countries. Our movement has always clearly disagreed with such measures and condemned them as violating the United Nations Charter and international laws, and they are a heavy blow to the freedom of commerce and investment.”
 

Salehi stated, “Iran has been one of the victims of such measures and I would like to express my gratitude to the members of this movement for their support of our demands and their disagreement with such unilateral and hostile steps. Since the policy of economic sanctions has, so far, failed, the actors of these policies have resorted to the most shameful tools, meaning terrorist acts. As you are well aware, a number of Iranian scientists and researchers have been victims of such brutal terrorist acts. These measures, which are manifestations of state terrorism, indicate that some countries do not even think twice about challenging the most obvious human principles in order to achieve their illegitimate political interests.”
 

In another part of his speech, Iran’s Foreign Minister talked about the issues related to nuclear disarmament and expressed his regret over non-enforcement of Article 6 of the NPT regarding the elimination of nuclear weapons.

Salehi added, “Nothing should divert our attention from major threats against mankind by tactical and strategic nuclear weapons and their continuous modernization and the new military doctrines for their usage. We believe that the suggested time limit by NAM for the elimination of nuclear weapons by 2025 can only be reached if we, as a movement, are determined and decisive in following this objective. At the same time, the stubborn refrain of the Zionist regime from joining the NPT is the main obstacle in a global enforcement of this treaty.”
 

The Head of Iran’s diplomacy further stated, “Due to this reason, the idea of creating a “Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone” in the Middle East, offered by Iran in 1974, is still not enforceable. We strongly believe that all efforts should be made to oblige the Zionist regime to provide necessary conditions to achieve this goal.”
 

Salehi, once again, reiterated Iran’s commitment to its international obligations within the framework of the NPT and other international treaties with regard to weapons of mass destruction and added, “At the same time, we are determined to enjoy our rights within the framework of this treaty.”
 

He further stated, “In recent negotiations between Iran and the P5+1, both parties have agreed to continue negotiations on the basis of mutual respect and action, and in a step-by-step approach.”
 

Finally, Iran’s Foreign Minister talked about the future NAM Summit, which will be held in Tehran in September, and explained the preparatory measures for this summit and presented the foreign ministers with invitations for the heads of their countries to attend.