Iran Willing to Help Reconcile Two Koreas: Larijani

During a visit to the South Korean capital, Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said the Islamic Republic supports dialogue between Seoul and Pyongyang, and is willing to use its ties with North Korea to help improve relations between the two Koreas.
According to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency, addressing Seoul-based reporters, Larijani added, “We [Iran] maintain that we should use our bilateral relations [with North Korea] to resolve the problems [between North Korea and South Korea]. In case we are given this opportunity, we will use our capacities and capabilities to improve relations between the two Koreas.”
He said the military actions by the two Koreas could lead to a military confrontation between them, while the two sides should prepare the grounds for holding political dialogue.
The Iranian Parliament speaker said Iran’s foreign policy is based on working out peaceful solutions to any external problem and issue.
Commenting on his negotiations with South Korean officials, he noted, “In the talks I held with the South Korean Prime Minister [Lee Nak-yeon] and speaker of the National Assembly [Kang Chang-hee], I felt that there is diversity in [two sides’] investment activities. In some fields, the negotiations on expanding cooperation became serious.”
He expressed optimism that in the future, more opportunities would be created for boosting joint investment and employment.
Although establishing good diplomatic relations between governments is important, good results can be obtained if parliaments foster close relationship with each other, he added.
Larijani has travelled to Seoul to attend the Meeting of Speakers of Eurasian Countries’ Parliaments, which wrapped up on Wednesday (June 28).