Tehran, Dec 27, IRNA � The United Nations resident coordinator and UNDP representative in Iran Gary Lewis said the international community direly needs Iran in its anti-terrorism campaign.
��Talking to IRNA, he said Iran is acting as a source of peace and stability in the region.
He stressed that the international community needed Iran's assistance in fighting terrorism and extremism as well as settling regional disputes.

Lewis has been working for the UN in Asia, Africa, Europe, the US and the Middle East for over 25 years.

Asked to comment on the UN programs to confront the seemingly increasing power of terrorist groups within the past decade, he expressed sympathy with the victims of terrorism and condemned all forms the phenomenon.

He then urged all world countries to fight terrorist groups' activities by targeting the ideological roots of their thinking, underlining that his organization has always slammed terrorist acts.

He noted that the UN adopted a global anti-terrorism strategy in 2006 as an action plan urging member states to initiate campaign against terrorism at regional and international levels.

Lewis regretted that world countries held divergent views on terrorism leading to lack of an agreement on ways of dealing with terrorist operations.

However, he added, the UN was trying to activate all national and international potentials by requiring world countries to condemn terrorism in all forms.

On Iran's role in settling regional disputes, the UN official said that Tehran has been playing outstanding role in this area, stressing that the international community should always consider Iran as a part of regional strategy.

He said he believed certain anti-Iran approaches must be stopped and the country should be given its due status in the region.

Lewis noted that in spite of unrest in Iran's both western and eastern neighboring countries, Tehran enjoys full stability and enjoys remarkable educational and healthcare achievements.

He further described cooperation between Iran as a founding member of the UN and the international body as very good and said the UN welcomes promotion of ties with Iran.

Asked about the Western media attempts to spread Islamiphobia, he said the UN sees no connections between Islam and terrorism.

He urged world nations to confront radicalism and extremism under any disguise.

By IRNA

 

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