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This is an archive article published on November 17, 2009
US failed Asia,says Irans Mottaki
Iran has expressed the desire and need for a new direction in its policy towards Asia. On his two-day visit to India,his second to the country...
Iran has expressed the desire and need for a new direction in its policy towards Asia. On his two-day visit to India,his second to the country,Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran Manouchehr Mottaki on Monday told The Indian Express that Irans doors were never closed,they had not been in the past…. Iran is open to dealing with the region,through the United Nations or bilaterally. The Iranian minister met his Indian counterpart S M Krishna and also called on the Vice-President and the Prime Minister.
The two sides underlined the need for early convening of the next session of the Joint Commission and discussed various projects,including in the fields of oil and gas,power,surface transport and infrastructure projects like the Chabahar Port and the International North-South Corridor, the MEA spokesperson said. It was also decided that an Indian Cultural Centre would be set up in Tehran and an Indian cultural week would be held in Tehran and Shiraz in 2010.
Targeting the Unites States,Mottaki pointed out that rather than the failures in Iranian policy or changes in approach,closer inspection would reveal that it was in fact the George W Bushs administration that had failed the Asian region. Eight years of the Bush administrations policies towards our regions,towards Afghanistan,Iraq,Lebanon and Palestine have failed the region. Which one of these policies has been successful? Which one has solved the problems we face? Mottaki told The Indian Express.
As the Obama administration departs from Bush-era politics and is undertaking a review of its AfPak policy,Mottaki called for an Asian re-evaluation of strategy as well.
Pointing out the failure in Afghanistan,Mottaki indicated that it was the American influence and strategy which brought extremism to the region. Extremism has been imported to our region… it is not in Asias nature. Asia is not familiar to this type pf terrorism. Who created extremism? Who started the war?
Meanwhile,according to the MEA spokesman,Mottaki extended an invitation from President Ahmedinejad to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to visit Iran.
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