TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri took the world powers responsible for the current bloodshed and problems in the countries of the region, and called on the followers of all religions to keep united against enemies plots against their countries.The big powers play a role in most of these conflicts (in the region) and if the followers of divine religions remain besideeach other, they can play an effective role in ending the problems, Jahangiri said in a meeting with Representative of the Iranian Assyrians and Chaldeans at the parliament Yonatan Betkelia in Tehran on Tuesday.
Betkelia, for his part, described Iran as the cradle of talks among religions and civilizations, and said, Iran is a country in which all ethnic groups and followers of different religions can live beside each other with utmost friendship and peace.
Also in relevant remarks in October 2008, Betkelia who is also the secretary-general of the International Union of Assyrians said religious minorities can best live in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
"Iran is the safest country in the world for religious minorities," he said.
Betkelia was appointed as the new secretary-general of the International Union of Assyrians in September 2012.
In mid-October 2008, the union relocated its central office to Iran after four decades of presence in the United States.
Betkelia said that while some '600,000 Assyrians in the United States are not represented in the US Congress', some 20,000 Assyrians living in Iran have a representative in the Iranian Parliament.
"I cannot name a country that respects the rights of minorities as Iran does," he concluded.
By Fars News Agency
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