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(TALKZIMBABWE) Iran hails Zimbabwe's regional role

Iran hails Zimbabwe's regional role
By: Our reporter
Posted: Sunday, November 21, 2010 3:47 am

IRANIAN Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has stressed Harare's important role in developments in Africa, and underlined Tehran's support for the Zimbabwean government.

While speaking at a joint press conference with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Simbarashe Mumbengegwi in Tehran on Saturday, Mr Mottaki said: "Zimbabwe enjoys a special standing, given its role in regional and international organizations."

He added: that the country "is an influential member of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), the Group 15, the Group 77 and the UN."

Mr Mottaki has denounced the "West's hypocrisy" and politicization of human rights issue in Iran.

He criticized the recent West-sponsored resolution that accuses the Islamic Republic of violating human rights inside the country.

He said the "blatant violation of human rights in the world by Western countries is so hated in the eyes of the public opinion that their claims and statements regarding defending human rights in the world are of no use."

Mottaki said Western countries, including Canada, are not in a position to talk about human rights, while their soldiers accompanied by other aggressors are accomplices in killings of hundreds of thousands in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Iranian minister further pointed out that some Western countries conduct systematic violations of human rights, while Islamic principles call for observing human rights.

He said Western policies in Afghanistan have failed, adding the United States and its allies have come to realize that the era of militarism is over.

The Iranian foreign minister pointed to the West's unfair treatment of the African nations during the history, saying Iran has always stood by the people and government of Zimbabwe.

"In continuation of pursuing their policies in Africa some western countries tried to impose special conditions on Zimbabwe, but the Zimbabwe nation and government stood against those pressure," Mottaki continued.

Foreign minister Mumbengegwi hailed the Islamic Republic as a reliable partner and said that Iranian firms are cooperating with Zimbabwe in different fields.

Mumbengegwi stressed that Zimbabwe is seeking to encourage transfer of Iranian technology to Harare.

Mottaki said Iran will continue expanding ties and cooperation with Zimbabwe, specially in economic and investment fields.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's administration has expanded relations with Zimbabwe.

Following a three-nation African tour on February 23, 2009 which took Mr Ahmadinejad to Djibouti, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Comoros, the Iranian president termed expansion of Tehran's relations with African countries a "priority for Iran's foreign policy".

Iran is also an observing member of the AU and has shown an active presence in previous AU summit meetings.

Tehran in September hosted a large number of government and private sector officials from more than 40 African states for a two-day conference called 'Iran-Africa Forum'.

During the 'Iran-Africa Forum', Mr Ahmadinejad underlined Iran's resolve to boost cooperation with Africa, and voiced Tehran's preparedness to host a summit of the African Union's heads of state.

"We are ready to welcome our brothers and sisters for an African Union (AU) summit in Tehran," Ahmadinejad said, addressing the opening session of the forum.

"We have the honor to declare that we are ready to share all our experiences and power with Africa to build the future," the president stressed.

Labels: IRAN, MANOUCHEHR MOTTAKI, SIMBARASHE MUMBENGEGWI, ZIMBABWE

posted by MrK @ 8:14 AM