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Zarif: US no credible negotiating partner

24 Apr 2019 - 11:16


IRNA – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the US is not a trustable negotiating partner because Americans devalue international regulations and even their own previously made decisions.

Upon his arrival in New York, he elaborated on his current visit's plans saying he is to address the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meeting on multilateralism, hold talks with the UN Secretary General António Guterres and President of the UN General Assembly María Fernanda Espinosa.

He added that he is also scheduled to deliver speeches in a number of research centers in the US.

The Foreign Minister further noted that he will hold meetings with American scholars and political activists.

'The United States has not shown that is a credible negotiating partner, it has shown its contempt for the international law and for its own agreements and its own decisions in the past,' Zarif said.

'So it is not up to Iran to re-enter the negotiations, it is up to the United States,' he reiterated.

He went on to stress that 'we never left the negotiating table; we continue to have meetings with the remaining members of the nuclear deal.'

'It was the United States which abruptly decided to end the table so it is up to them to remedy their own behavior and to rectify their own mistakes and decide what they want to do in the future with the United States and the standing of the United States in the world,' he said.

It seems that President Trump and the current people in the White House [are] concerned and consider more importantly the interests of Israel than the interests of the United States and have become in fact pound in a very dangerous Israeli game, in fact Netanyahu game, in our region and this is unfortunate and extremely dangerous, he added.

Zarif noted that the mentioned programs are aimed to portray the US hostile policies which have caused danger to regional and international security.

Iran's plans to confront US policies and to maintain constructive relations in the region and in the world will be discussed during the trip, he reiterated.

Elsewhere in his interview, Zarif said 'the United States has been the source of instability in this region and has been cooperating and supporting other sources of instability in the region, those who have continued to support extremism and terrorism in our region. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirate are countries that have violated every principle of international humanitarian law in Yemen, Bahrain and elsewhere in the region.'

Zarif urged the US officials to re-assess their policies and return to a normal behavior in the international scene.

'The United States is currently an out-law state that has violated almost any agreement that it agreed to,' he said.

In response to a question whether Iran has put closing the Strait of Hormuz on the table, Zarif said 'I don’t talk about military options as it's up to military people to decide but we have said that Iran will protect its interests and one of our interests is stability in the region but stability should be for everybody, economic prosperity should be for everybody.'

He reiterated 'Iran's utmost interest is to keep a stable region provided that the stability is for everyone.'

Referring to the US recent act to end waivers on Iran oil imports , Zarif said the US is not the world police and is in no position to grant or end exemption.
Tehran attaches no importance to waivers and ending, Zarif reiterated.

He went on to say that US act is even worse than a highwayman.

The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo once again in a unilateral and hostile act on Monday declared anti-Iran measure to lift sanctions waivers on buyers of Iran oil.

According to Western media, Pompeo claimed that the US had gained assurances from oil producers - namely Saudi Arabia and the UAE - to ensure a sufficient supply to minimize impact on pricing.

He added that sanctions waiver permission will be expired on May 1 and as a result this decision will be implemented on May 2 meaning that no permission will exist to extend these waivers.

Regarding the importance of standing against US unilateralism, he said Iran had earlier made its decision in this regard and it is now up to other countries whether they want to compromise or resist.

Zarif added that both sanctions and all those acts related to US sanctions are illegal.

It is important to see whether these actors are ready to tolerate unilateral policy and ideas of a minority group for their own interests or not.

Alluding to Trump's confession that the US' spending of $7 trillion in the region has brought nothing but instability and expenses to US, Zarif said it is time for US to see whether their policies has had any results.

Iranian foreign minister is in New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly annual Conference on 'Remarking and Promoting International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace'.

According to the UN official website, 'the International Day was officially approved on 12 December, 2018 through resolution A/RES/73/127. 24 April of every year is designated as the day for the international observance.'

'As emphasized in the resolution, the International Day is a reaffirmation of the UN Charter and its principles of resolving disputes among countries through peaceful means. It acknowledges the use of multilateral decision-making and diplomacy in achieving peaceful resolutions to conflicts among nations,' it added.


Story Code: 346328

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