Hojjatoleslam Ali Mohammadi and Wael al-Halqi explored avenues for broadening of bilateral ties.

The two sides discussed signing new cooperation agreements, means to develop religious tourism and facilitating procedures for the visits of the Iranian pilgrims to holy sites in Syria, and exchanging religious missions.

Al-Halqi affirmed that the cultural, intellectual, and religious ties that bind the two countries and their people helped strengthen the historical relations and the political strategy between them.

He reaffirmed that the Syrians alone will resolve the crisis without any interference or external dictation, hailing the Iranian positions towards Syria.

For his part, Mohammadi said the Iranian people are standing alongside the Syrian people and leadership in confronting the terrorist war imposed on them, pointing out that this war is a war on Islam and seeks undermine the security of the whole region.

Syria’s Speaker of the People’s Assembly Mohammad Jihad al-Laham also met Mohammadi, affirming to him the importance of the strategic relationship between the axis of resistance states in order to achieve security and stability and to form an impervious barrier in the face of colonialist ambitions, particularly the ambitions of the Israeli occupation which is trying to control the region.

In turn, Mohammadi praised the victories achieved by the Syrian Arab Army against terrorism and its supporters.

Meanwhile, Syrian Minister of Religious Endowments Mohammad Abdul-Sattar al-Sayyed stressed during his meeting with Mohammadi the importance of promoting Islamic unity and the right Islamic thought to face the Wahhabi Takfiri thoughts.

Al-Sayyed considered the meeting an opportunity to express on behalf of scholars and preachers thanks and gratitude to the Iranian government and people for their standing by the Syrian people in their war against terrorism.

For his part, Mohammadi renewed Iran’s support for the Syrian people stance in facing the Takfiri terrorist thought, noting the efforts made by the Syrian scholars and preachers in promoting moderation and stability on the original Islamic approach.

Mohammadi called for closing ranks of the Islamic Nation, putting differences aside, emphasizing unity, reaffirming Iran’s support to Syria in facing the terrorist war that it witnesses and the need to develop relations of cooperation and exchange between the two countries.

“The nuclear agreement was one of the rare cases where diplomacy prevailed,” Mohammad Javad Zarif said in an address to the Royal Institute for International Relations, known as the Egmont Institute, in the Belgium capital of Brussels on Monday.

He added that the reason behind the resolution of the Western dispute with Iran over the country’s nuclear program was a shift in the approach toward the issue at hand.

Zarif said as a result of the nuclear deal, the West, on the one hand, has the most concrete guarantees about the peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear program and on the other hand the sanctions on Iran have been lifted.

Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – the United States, France, Britain, China and Russia – plus Germany started to implement the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) over Tehran’s nuclear program on January 16.

After the JCPOA went into effect, all nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran by the European Union, the UN Security Council and the US were lifted. Iran has, in return, put some limitations on its nuclear activities.

Pointing to the security and terror crises in Europe, Zarif said the West cannot expect to enjoy security while other regions in the world are reeling from insecurity.

“We should know that these crises are common threats and challenges to us all,” the Iranian minister pointed out.

He said the crises have to be seen from a global standpoint in a way that “every crisis is a crisis for all.”

“I am of the belief that if we could redefine our issues in the region through the inclusion of others and not their exclusion, we can find a solution,” Zarif added.

To address the issue of Daesh Takfiri militants and terrorism, he said, “We need a global solution to stop hatred.”

The Iranian foreign minister said political or military solutions alone cannot resolve the issue and a “comprehensive global solution” is required.

The Iranian foreign minister also referred to the Saudi massacre of Yemenis, criticizing the approach where “a country sees its interests not in having friendly neighbors but in their elimination.”

Since March 26, 2015, Yemen has been under military attacks by Saudi Arabia with the declared aim of undermining the Houthi Ansarullah movement and restoring power to fugitive former Yemeni president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, a Riyadh ally.

Nearly 8,300 people, among them over 2,230 children, have been killed and over 16,000 others injured since the onset of the air raids, which have taken a heavy toll on the impoverished country’s infrastructure.

Khoshroo made the remarks Monday on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) member states while addressing the UN Security Council Ministerial Open Debate on “The Respect to the Principles and Purposes of the Charter of the United Nations as Key Element for the Maintenance of International Peace and Security”.

The full text of his statement reads:

Mr. President,
I have the honor to speak on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). I wish to convey to you, Mr. President and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the Movement’s appreciation for convening this Ministerial open debate on this fundamental topic. I also thank the Secretary General for his inputs in this debate. We hope this debate contributes to make United Nations, and in particular this Council, more transparent, democratic and consistent in its undertakings. At the time when the international community celebrates the 70th anniversary of this Organization, there is no better time to engage Member States in the defense of the principles and purposes of the UN Charter as the only way for ensuring international peace and security.

The purposes and principles enshrined in the UN Charter are the same pillars upon which the structure of the international law is founded. They encompass the fundamental concepts of respect for the sovereignty, the equality of States, the non-interference, the peaceful settlement of disputes, and the refrain from the use or threat of use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of all Member States. These purposes and principles must be thoroughly respected at all times by all Member States.

NAM has been very strong and consistent in its calls to the international community to uphold and defend the principles of the UN Charter and international law as well as the means envisaged in the UN Charter for the pacific settlement of dispute and non-resort to the threat or use of force. The purposes and principles of the UN Charter and the principles of international law are essential in preserving and promoting peace and security, the rule of law, economic development and social progress, and human rights for all.

Global peace and security continue to elude humankind as a result of, inter alia, increasing tendency by certain States to resort to unilateralism, arbitrariness and unilaterally imposed measures, non-fulfillment of the commitments and obligations assumed under the relevant international legally binding instruments especially on weapons of mass destruction and conventional weapons treaties, terrorism, conflicts, violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, the use of double standards in international relations, the continuing failure and unwillingness of the majority of the developed countries to fulfill their commitments in the economic and social fields. We underscore the need for the international community to collectively redress these situations in accordance with the UN Charter and the principles of international law.

Mr. President,
NAM Member States, guided by the Movement’s principled positions and recognizing the serious danger and threats posed by the actions and measures that undermine international law and international legal instruments, stresses the need to undertake a wide range of measures, among others:

1. Identify and pursue measures that may contribute towards achieving a peaceful, prosperous, just and equitable world order;

2. Respect the right of nations to decide on their political, economic and social systems, as a pathway to the peaceful coexistence among nations and, thereby, to peace and security;

3. Conduct external relations based on the ideals, principles and purposes of the Movement, the UN Charter and international law, as well as the relevant Declarations adopted by the General Assembly;

4. Refrain from recognizing, adopting or implementing extra-territorial or unilateral coercive measures or laws, including unilateral economic sanctions, other intimidating measures, and arbitrary travel restrictions, that seek to exert pressure on Non-Aligned Countries – threatening their sovereignty and independence, and their freedom of trade and investment and prevent them from exercising their right to decide, by their own free will, their own political, economic and social systems, where such measures or laws constitute flagrant violations of the UN Charter, international law, the multilateral trading system as well as the norms and principles governing friendly relations among States;

5. Oppose and condemn the categorization of countries as good or evil based on unilateral and unjustified criteria, and the adoption of the doctrine of pre-emptive attack, including attack by nuclear weapons by certain States, which is inconsistent with international law, in particular the international legally-binding instruments concerning nuclear disarmament;

And finally, Mr. President, the Movement has stressed that the UN Charter contains sufficient provisions regarding the use of force to maintain and preserve international peace and security, and that achieving this goal by the Security Council should be strictly done in full conformity with the relevant Charter provisions. Resorting to Chapter VII of the Charter, as an umbrella, for addressing issues that do not pose a threat to international peace and security must be avoided and in this regard, the Council should fully utilize the relevant Charter provisions, where appropriate, including Chapters VI and VIII. In addition, and consistent with the practice of the UN and international law, as pronounced by the ICJ, Article 51 of the UN Charter is restrictive and should not be re-written or re-interpreted.