Iran condemns Borrell's racist remarks, UAE summons head of EU mission
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The UAE Foreign Ministry says the EU foreign policy chief's recent remarks were "inappropriate and discriminatory."
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EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell (Reuters)
Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani condemned on Tuesday the latest remarks by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell as arising from a colonial mentality.
Delivering a speech last week on the inauguration of a university in Belgium, Borrell compared the European Union to a "garden" that must be protected from the "jungle" outside.
He claimed that "the rest of the world… is not exactly a garden. Most of the rest of the world is a jungle, and the jungle could invade the garden. The gardeners should take care of it, but they will not protect the garden by building walls."
On Twitter, Kanaani considered that "the garden/jungle metaphor arises from an utterly unacceptable colonial mentality which gives the West a right to invade and occupy."
"That era has long gone. Multipolarity is on the doorstep," he added, warning that the "EU needs to adopt the realities, otherwise it will continue to decline and fade."
The garden/jungle metaphor arises from an utterly unacceptable colonial mentality which gives the West a right to invade & occupy.
— Nasser Kanaani (@IRIMFA_SPOX) October 18, 2022
That era has long gone. Multipolarity is on the doorstep.
EU needs to adopt the realities, otherwise it will continue to decline & fade.
In the same context, the United Arab Emirates summoned on Monday the acting head of the mission at the EU delegation in the country, requesting an explanation of what it described as racist comments made by Borrell.
The UAE state news agency (WAM) cited the Emirati Foreign Ministry as saying that the EU foreign policy chief's remarks were "inappropriate and discriminatory" and "contribute to a worsening climate of intolerance and discrimination worldwide."
On her part, the Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, responded to Borrell's statements by saying that "Europe built that 'garden' through plundering. World’s most prosperous system, created in Europe, was nurtured by 'roots' in colonies."
#Opinion by Maria Zakharova@JosepBorrellF compared Europe to a garden, the rest of the world to a jungle.
— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) October 14, 2022
☝️Europe built that “garden” through plundering. World’s most prosperous system, created in Europe, was nurtured by “roots” in colonies.
🔗 https://t.co/RaxnAPhO45 pic.twitter.com/HOhRr0FLxx
