IRAN PRESIDENT DISMISSES NATO ROLE IN CAUCASUS CRISIS

Fars News Agency
Sept 16 2008
Iran

Fars: President [Mahmud Ahmadinezhad] called the strengthening of
international ties between Iran and Armenia as a message of friendship
to the world and said: There is no need for NATO to resolve issues
of international difference between regional countries.

Fars reports from the public information office of the presidency where
this Tuesday afternoon [16 Sep] Mahmud Ahmadinezhad met the Foreign
Minister of Armenia – Edward Nalbandian – and pointed to the profundity
and robustness of relations between the two countries and said: Tehran
and Yerevan’s cooperation can be a blueprint for cordial relations.

The president pointed to the urgency in deepening cultural ties between
the two countries and stressed: In the realm of bilateral relations,
the cultural aspect must be developed more than ever and the cultural
and historical commonalities of the two nations are suitable assets
which can be used in the interests of the two countries.

Stressing that the widening of ties with Armenia is a definite policy
of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ahmadinezhad said: There are no
obstacles to the deepening of bilateral ties and the regional issues
too have added to the urgency for widening of ties and bilateral
relations.

The president also regarded the development of bilateral relations as
leading to the strengthening of security, peace and friendship in the
region and stressed: The countries of the region can resolve their
differences through cooperation with each other and in this regard
there is no need for NATO’s intervention or the intervention of anyone
else. And of course, experience has shown that their intervention
will only aggravate the situation.

Remarking that in the international arena there are great upheavals
afoot, Ahmadinezhad said: The unipolar world system has now fallen
through, and the effects of this will be felt around the world. To
this end, we have to fight for the establishment of a system on the
basis of which sustainable peace and security can be attained.

He made a reminder that we have to move ahead of global upheaval in
order to safeguard national interests.

The Armenian foreign minister – for his part – called for the
ever-greater widening of bilateral ties in the economic and political
sphere and said: The widening of reciprocal relations can demonstrate
the deep ties between the two nations and can turn into a blueprint
for the region.

Nalbandian pointed to the events in Caucasus and made reassurances
that: What is happening indicates the sensitivity of the region. To
this end, we have to find new alternative paths for the improvement
of bilateral ties.