On February 23, Ettela’at quoted Dr. Hessamoddin Vaezzadeh, a professor of international relations at University of Tehran, as saying that an International Relations Council is to be set up for the first time in the history of the Islamic Republic. What comes below is a partial translation of what else he had to say:
Such an institution could lend assistance to the country’s diplomacy apparatus and help those who are active in the public sector or in the field of business deal with the turbulent and competitive atmosphere of the modern world.
The need for such non-governmental organizations has long been felt, because they can narrow the gap that exists between plans in theory and in practice. That’s why a year ago a number of scholars, elites and senior experts started carrying out studies to found a first such council in Iran.
Iran’s International Relations Council is an NGO which acts in line with the sacred objectives of the Islamic Republic and is backed by the establishment.
Among other things, the council aims to secure a common understanding and create a chance for the free expression of different ideas and an exchange of views in a calm atmosphere which is free of any political, factional wrangling.
