‘West must seize chance for Iran ties’
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari has called on the West, particularly the United States, to seize the opportunity under the present Iranian administration to interact with Tehran.
Zebari on Saturday described the administration of President Hassan Rouhani as œthe best chance” for the normalization of the 34-year frigid relations between Iran and the US.
Zebari noted that prior to the 68th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York, he had told US and European officials to take seriously the resolve of Rouhani™s administration to interact with the West.
He also pointed to the appointment of Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif as Iran™s chief representative in nuclear negotiations with the six world powers as another indication of Rouhani™s determination to interact with West.
The Iraqi foreign minister noted that after the election of President Rouhani in June, Iraq had numerous discussions with the US over the prospect of Tehran-Washington relations, adding, œOur role I would not claim to be decisive or instrumental, but it was helpful.”
On Friday, Rouhani and his American counterpart Barack Obama held a telephone conversation as the Iranian president was wrapping up his visit to New York.
The phone conversation was the first direct communication between an Iranian and a US president since Iran™s Islamic Revolution of 1979.
The two presidents stressed Tehran and Washington™s political will to swiftly resolve the dispute over Iran™s nuclear energy program, and exchanged viewpoints on various topics, including cooperation on different regional issues.
ASH/HJL/HMV
Copyright: Press TV
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