Tehran, IRNA – Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani has criticized the organizers of the Munich Security Conference (MSC) 2023 for giving a platform to notorious and discredited figures, saying the decision caused the event to lose its international prestige.
Kanaani made the remarks in his weekly news briefing in Tehran on Monday as he said that the MSC 2023 clearly exposed the risks facing the Western hegemony in the world.
“… We believe that this year the conference was held in the name of security but it was to please war and war-mongers,” he said.
The official said that a conference like the MSC which aims to boost global security should give equal opportunities to all members of the international community so that they could state their viewpoints about challenges and opportunities facing international security.
Kanaani said that the fact that the conference failed to invite countries like Iran and Russia as major players in regional and global security clearly showed that the organizers were seeking to strengthen unilateralism in the world.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Kanaani rejected a report by economic new agency the Bloomberg claiming that Iran is enriching uranium at 84% purity, saying that Iran is committed to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and strongly believes in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
On claims by the Zionist regime about Iran’s alleged attack on an Israeli ship, the spokesman dismissed the accusations and said that Iran is still an influential force in maintaining security and freedom of navigation in international waters.
Kanaani said that Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian had been planning to visit India to participate in a conference, adding that the visit could not be finalized due to the minister’s busy schedule and the fact the organizers of the conference had released a video clip that was described as unprofessional by Iran’s embassy in New Delhi.
He added that Amirabdollahian will visit Iraq in the near future, adding that the minister has no current plan to travel to India.
On attempts by certain governments and regimes to stigmatize Iran, the spokesman said that the Iranophobia campaign followed by the Zionist regime is nothing new, adding that Iran has always been successful in offsetting such plots and campaigns.
Touching upon the extradition of Iranian nationals from other countries, Kanaani said that Iran has indirectly pursued the issue of prisoner swap with the United States, adding that the US side has failed to abide by its commitments.
On the issue of South Korea’s debt to Iran, he said that Tehran does not accept Seoul’s reasoning for keeping Iranian assets blocked and insisted that Iran will use its different resources to have the funds returned.
Referring to a recent statement by Azerbaijan on the issue of attack on the country’s embassy in Tehran earlier this month, the spokesman urged the Azeri officials to comply with diplomatic norms and principles and avoid unprofessional methods.
Kanaani also touched upon a recent decision to remove Zionist regime’s observer delegation from the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and said that the regime is dismissed from such events because of its own nature.
He said that the so-called normalization efforts between the Zionist regime and certain states does not translate into an international acceptance for the regime.
Asked about talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran to resume diplomatic ties, he said that the negotiations need political will from the Saudi side to become fruitful.
Criticizing the stances taken by the European and the IAEA officials on Iran’s nuclear program, he wanted IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi to expalin why information leaks, adding that Iran stresses the need for cooperating in line with technical issues and there is no obstacle for a trip by the IAEA delegation to Tehran; furthermore, the talks between FM Amirabdollahian and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell are underway.
Kanaani further expressed hope that political determination by all sides would lead to the resumption of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Source: Islamic Republic News Agency – IRNA
