Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Saeed Khatibzadeh announced that Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif heading a high-ranking political and economic delegation will visit Pakistan on Tuesday to meet with Pakistani senior officials.
Speaking at a weekly press conference on Monday, Khatibzadeh said, “During the two-day visit to Pakistan, Zarif will have meetings with Pakistani senior political and military officials”.
Zarif is due to meet with Pakistan Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, he added.
In response to a question of whether any connection has been made with Joe Biden’s team before and after the US’ presidential election, Khatibzadeh said, “Basically, Iran will have no connection with anybody beyond the issues related to JCPOA. On the other hand, a new administration has not yet taken power in the US. Iran will make its decisions according to the new situation after Biden’s administration takes office. What matters is actions, not words and speculations”.
“Iran’s policies are unaffected by the US administrations. The party that has violated commitments and has also threatened the others to breach the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was the US. We must witness reforms of US policies in all spheres, then we will judge on the basis of the measures,” he added.
Touching upon the decision of the Iraqi parliament about the issue of the US terrorist attack to assassinate Lt General Qassem Soleimani in the Iraqi soil last January and the end of Trump’s immunity as his rival Biden won the 2020 presidential election, the spokesman said the agents who committed such crime are on Iran’s list.
“In line with following up the case, Iran has had close cooperation with different sectors in Iraq,” Khatibzadeh added.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the spokesman advised certain neighboring countries that the region needs regional mechanism for its security and stressed that security cannot be bought from outside.
“Few regional states which had already relied on the US should understand that they cannot give money to buy security and kill Yemeni people because hallucination-like Trump does not exist no longer,” Khatibzadeh said.
He made it clear that Iran is always ready to help neighbors to reach understanding that the regional security needs a regional mechanism.
Asked whether end of Trump’s presidency would create changes in type of interactions with neighbors, Khatibzadeh said Iran has always had goodwill in its relations with neighbors.
“Iran’s policy does not change by incoming or outgoing a person.”
Commenting on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict underway between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Khatibzadeh said that Iran welcomes any initiative to cease the conflict.
Asked about Iran’s plan for settlement of the conflict, the spokesman said the framework for resolving the conflict is clear.
Iran has welcomed any ways to resolve the conflict in this framework, he added.
Whenever those two countries arrive at a conclusion that war is not a correct way, others can help them better, Khatibzadeh added.
Iran is serious in the issues of border security and Takfiris’ presence, he noted.
Pointing to Zarif’s recent visit to three nations of Latin America (Venezuela, Bolivia and Cuba) last week, Khatibzadeh said, “In the visit, Iranian foreign minister participated in the inauguration ceremony of the newly-appointed president of Bolivia.”
Zarif also held talks with his Chilean and Nicaraguan counterparts for strengthening bilateral ties.
Khatibzadeh added, “In his visit, foreign minister Zarif visited Cuba and held high-profile talks with Cuban president and foreign minister. In the meeting, the two sides explored avenues for enhancing the mutual relationships in various areas.”
