Eurasia Press & News
TEHRAN (Fars News Agency) Iran’s former nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani termed Iran-Egypt relations as progressive, saying that both sides are active to boost cooperation in different grounds.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with FNA in Cairo on Tuesday, Larijani who formerly headed the country’s Supreme National Security Council and is now Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei’s representative at the SNSC, pointed to Iran’s strengthening ties with such Arab states as those on the rim of the Persian Gulf, and stressed the two sides’ vast cooperation and joint interests.
He further attached significance to Iran-Arab world joint cooperation, specially at the present juncture, and said, “The international conditions have changed. If close ties are reinvigorated, problems will be solved.”
“Certain parties, specially Americans, are against our relations and cooperation with Arab countries and strive to impair these relations under any pretext.
“But we should not allow Americans and others to undermine our cooperation and relations. A good cooperation can help take the next steps and this is what Iran is trying to do,” Larijani added.
He also noted consolidation of Tehran-Cairo relations, and said, “Both sides are active to strengthen cooperation in different areas, and we hope that this cooperation will eventually lead to the materialization of what we are optimistic about.”
Larijani said the Untied States’ unilateral approach has failed in attaining its goals and come to its end, and continued, “Important countries of the region will have more freedom and room for moving towards future following the collapse of the Untied States’ unipolar system and the defeat this country has sustained.”
“Iran and Egypt are among significant countries which can play an outstanding role in the materialization of true peace in the region and this is of importance for all regional nations. We hope that this joint cooperation is materialized.”
He also pointed to a nuclear cooperation plan presented by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, and voiced Iran’s full preparedness to stand by Egypt and help Cairo with the acquisition of nuclear technology, but meantime stressed that such nuclear cooperation should be supervised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
“If Egypt raises such a demand, Iran will not show any delay (in rendering nuclear assistance), but as I mentioned, on the condition that such a measure is supervised internationally and this international supervision is represented by the IAEA Board of Governors,” Larijani concluded.
