Iran sees Middle East transport corridors as key to foreign policy
3 Min Read
During his meeting with the Syrian foreign minister, Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian stresses on how significant and necessary it is to establish stability and peace in Syria while maintaining its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
-
This Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2016 photo, shows an aerial view of Iraq's main port of Umm Qasr, near Basra, Iraq (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani)
During a press conference with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal al-Miqdad on Wednesday in Damascus, Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian voiced Iran's belief in how the establishment of transport corridors in the Middle East can serve as one of the key benefits of its foreign policy in trade and economic cooperation with regional nations.
Amir-Abdollahian stated, as cited by Iranian news agency IRNA: "For us, the expansion of economic cooperation and the use of transit routes in the Middle East region is one of the important goals of foreign policy. Our relations with the regional countries are within the framework of trade and economic agreements".
He added that it is significant and necessary to establish stability and peace in Syria while maintaining its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The meeting between both ministers also strengthened bilateral political support as Amir-Abdollahian condemned the "brutal attacks by the Israeli occupation on Aleppo airport and other civilian areas in Syria."
He stressed that acts of aggression and crimes by the occupation have not gone unanswered in the region and that they will continue to be addressed in the future.
Read more: Iran ranks 1st in crude steel production in the Middle East: Report
Regarding US troops attempting to block the border between Syria and Iraq, the Iranian diplomat stated that "Iraq's borders with Syria and neighboring countries are based on friendship. America should stop causing trouble for the people in the region."
He advised US soldiers to return home and urged American authorities to leave the region to its people. Amir-Abdollahian emphasized that historical transportation routes in the region cannot be blocked, and such actions contradict Western and US claims about human rights.
Back in June, the secretary of the Iranian Supreme Council of Free Trade-Industrial and Special Economic Zones, Hojatollah Abdolmaleki, told Sputnik that Tehran is working on developing special economic zones with Saudi Arabia and the UAE, noting that memorandums of understanding on the same have already been signed with Iraq, Syria, and Oman.
"We are developing cooperation in the field of special economic zones with various countries, especially with neighboring ones, including the Arab states. We have already signed a memorandum of understanding with Oman and Iraq. We have also signed a memorandum of understanding with Syria. Now we are negotiating with the UAE and Saudi Arabia on joint cooperation in free economic zones," Abdolmaleki said.
