Khatami:Occupiers are the true “axis of evil”
Minsk, Sept 11, IRNA — The visiting Iranian President Mohammad Khatami
here Friday afternoon said that countries that prevent others from
living in peace in their homelands and which flagrantly support or
commit terrorist acts are the real “axis of evil”.
President Khatami, who arrived for an official visit in Belarus on
Thursday evening, made the remark at a meeting with the Chairman of the
House of Representatives of the Belarus National Assembly Vadim Popov.
Referring to the Tehran-Minsk cooperation to fight practices labeled
as “axis of evil” and terrorism in its different forms worldwide,
President Khatami said he believes that injustice and discrimination
were some of the reasons which led others to commit terrorism.
“Those who illegally occupy land belonging to others against
international norms and those who fuel chaos and extremism worldwide
are the main components of the axis of evil,” said the president
arguing that they try to deviate world public opinion from their own
crimes by trying to find scapegoats.
The president further noted that Tehran and Minsk share common
grievances and are both opposed to any form of occupation, war,
factional fighting or disagreements which encourage more acts of evil
throughout the world.
He added that the two countries should put their weight behind nations
fighting to have their say in their own destinies as well as those
who seek justice and defend peace and security in this world. Noting
that all countries of the region had a stake in the continued peace
and security in a “sensitive region like the Middle East,” President
Khatami further noted that “crises and tensions in the region only
serve the illegitimate interests of outsiders.” “The people of Iraq
are now suffering because of the mistakes and failures of outsiders
would came to their country on their own selfish agenda and who should
bear the cost of their mistakes,” said President Khatami.
“However,” he noted, “the current problems in Iraq have shown that
the occupation can no longer continue and the use of force has come
to an end.”
President Khatami further referred to the good relations between the
Iranian and Belarussian parliaments in recent years, in particular,
and expressed hope the road to progress and development for Tehran
and Minsk would be short.
Popov, in return, said that the visit of President Khatami to Belarus
constituted a “turning point” for bilateral relations, adding that the
new documents for mutual cooperation signed by the two sides during
his visit would lead to enhanced bilateral political and economic
cooperation in the future.
Comparing Minsk with Tehran,” the chairman said the two “oppose
unilateralism and believe that countries which destructively label
others as being part of an “axis of evil” are out to impose their
own interests on these countries.”
President Khatami is in Minsk on the second leg of a three-nation
regional tour which started on Wednesday with a visit to Armenia.
He will conclude his tour with a visit to Tajikistan.
The president`s week-long tour is taking place upon the official
invitations of President Robert Kocharian of Armenia, Aleksandr
Lukashenka of Belarus and Emomali Rakhmonov of Tajikistan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress