Re: PM to arrive in Iran tomorrow to attend NAM Summit
PressTV - 'Non-Aligned Movement members seek reforms in UN structure'
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Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast has stressed the importance of the 16th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in Tehran, saying the Islamic Republic is holding the meeting at a "critical juncture."
He added that the NAM summit indicates that the source of global management is suffering from weaknesses and deficiencies, stressing that there is a need for "new innovations and initiatives" in order to improve the situation in the international domain.
The Iranian spokesperson emphasized that the NAM, which is the second major world body next to the United Nations, can play an "effective and crucial" role.
He expressed hope that senior officials attending the NAM summit in Tehran would be able to discuss the lofty goals of the movement.
He cited intervention by major powers, their expansionist policies and violation of territorial integrity of other countries as main reasons behind insecurity in many countries.
"At the same time, the existing crises indicate that these few, specific countries are not able to run the affairs of the world, and also they are not able to run the international organizations. Therefore, if independent countries contribute to this universal management and play their roles, we will obtain development and sustainable peace more swiftly," Mehmanparast further said.
Press TV has conducted an interview with Ramin Mehmanparast, Foreign Ministry Spokesman, to further discuss the issue. The following is a rough transcription of the interview.
Press TV: First I'd like to ask you about the significance of Iran hosting this NAM meeting at this very important juncture in global politics.
Mehmanparast: In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. The 16th Non-Aligned Movement summit is being held at a critical juncture in the history of international relations.
The summit is being held in Tehran at a time when Western countries are facing major financial and social crises. This indicates that the source of global management is suffering from weaknesses and deficiencies. There's a need for new innovations and initiatives in order to improve the situation in the international domain.
In the meantime, the wave of Islamic Awakenings sweeping the Middle East and North Africa has led to major developments. Countries where people have a greater role for determining their destiny, they are in fact seeking to cut their dependence on the major powers.
All these conditions indicate that the Non-Aligned Movement with the 120 member states and 17 observer countries and organizations is the second major world body next to the United Nations. This organization can have an effective and crucial role to play.
At this critical juncture, we see that the delegations have widely welcomed their participation in the summit. This indicates the importance with respect to the timing of the summit.
Hopefully, with participation of senior officials from these countries, hopefully we'll be able to discuss the lofty goals of the movement and also the topics that have been on the agenda, and the circumstances to necessitate their influence on the international arena.
I think that one of the issues that is commonly on the agenda, that is a topic of the meeting, is sustainable peace under a common universal management.
This means that all independent countries and member states of the Non-Aligned Movement are after the establishment of peace and security throughout the globe, a type of peace that has to be a sustainable one, and also the factors that can guarantee such a peace, such factors must be obtainable.
Now, one of the main reasons for insecurity in many world countries is the intervention by major powers there, expansionist policies and the fact that they violate the territorial integrity of other countries.
They threaten other countries in order to attain their interests. They resort to military tools, and they also unilaterally seek to impose certain laws. These are the variety of topics that has caused concerns among the member states.
At the same time, the existing crises indicate that these few, specific countries are not able to run the affairs of the world, and also they are not able to run the international organizations.
Therefore, if independent countries contribute to this universal management and play their roles, we will obtain development and sustainable peace more swiftly.
We hope that this meeting in Tehran would prove to be successful in obtaining this goal with respect to the fact that the three-year period of presidency by the Islamic Republic of Iran will begin from Thursday after the transference of the rotating presidency from Egypt to Iran, and the necessary planning has been made for further measures in order to turn this movement into an influential body in the international arena with the help of all the members states.
We think that this is going to be a turning point in the history of the Non-Aligned Movement.
Press TV: I'm glad you mentioned the presidency of Iran from Thursday, as you've mentioned, of the Non-Aligned Movement. Can you tell us a little bit about if Iran will be restructuring anything within the NAM to make it a more effective body to fight many of these issues that the world is facing?
Mehmanparast: Well, one of the main reasons that the movement formation has been defined as a movement is that the independent countries that did not want to align with the Western blocs, they wanted to in fact create a new movement.
In order to avoid turning into a bloc, they did not go after the mechanism of an organization. They tried to make this body a more flexible body in order to be able to present its views on a variety of issues.
Therefore, the structures that normally are defined for the bodies and organizations do not exist within the Non-Aligned Movement. But we think the developments are going in a direction that necessitates certain changes so that we'll be able to make more effective and more useful use of the existing capacities.
The 120 member states form a more capable body. They in fact comprise 55 percent of the world population and 20 percent of the economic and financial circulation of the world. They can have an effective role in the international arena.
Therefore, the innovations, initiatives and plans can be raised, but these plans and initiatives have to be endorsed by all the member states. We think that as far as the statute of the body, the movement is concerned we can work out new plans.
As far as the economic structure is concerned, and also making the bilateral and multilateral cooperation a targeted one, we can present initiatives and innovations.
If there's defined cooperation within these countries, this can boost their abilities for countering unilateral decisions by other powers.
There are many initiatives and agendas, and hopefully we will be able to gradually move on with these initiatives and suggestions so that we'll be able to make use of independent countries in order to reach a point, in order to have a better world with enhancement of peace and security, and countries will be able to obtain their rights and defend their territorial integrities; in this way, reduce the gap between the developing and developed countries.
Press TV: I also want to talk about specific issues, if I may. The issue of Syria of course is important. We've heard talk and reports that Iran will be hosting a number of meetings with specific countries about Syria. What more can you tell us about that?
Mehmanparast: Speaking of peace and security in the regional countries is related to peace and security throughout the whole region. This is particularly true about a country like Syria that is a strategic situation. It's in the neighborhood of the Zionist regime.
The Zionist regime is the source of all regional and international threats.
In line with the issue of the Islamic Awakening, these pro-Zionist Americans did not manage to block this wave of Islamic Awakening and it feels that it has been harmed by the independence-seeking waves of this region and also it's going to lose the supporters of the Zionist regime.
They started in acts of causing seditions. On the pretext of defending public demands, they tried to pave the way for military intervention or they were after fomenting tension inside these countries.
The issue of Syria, what you see in Syria, actually, is beyond the ongoing developments, the demands of the opposition. Speaking of a Syrian issue, it's something beyond these domestic issues.
We believe that the interventions are not aimed at resolving the crises in Syria, the issue in Syria and the problem in Syria. They even may not be pleased with any sort of [solution] between the opposition and the government.
When Mr. Kofi Annan was designated as a special envoy and he presented his special 6-point peace plan, and there are some countries who have fully supported the plan, we believe that this is a good framework for, in fact, directing the situation in an appropriate way.
In any case of obtaining success, we've witnessed measures by foreign countries aimed at fomenting tensions and fomenting violence, and sending more arms into Syria in order to hamper the formation of a calm atmosphere, and hamper any peaceful condition from taking shape.
Therefore, the Islamic Republic of Iran is of the view that with the help of countries that have closer political views, it's feasible to pursue our plan so as to resolve the problem inside Syria as soon as possible with the help of the Syrian officials and also the conflicting parties.
We held a meeting in Tehran. It was the Syrian Friends meeting in Tehran. There were several countries and international organs participating. There were many issues raised.
One of the proposals by the Islamic Republic of Iran was the formation of a contact group so that effective countries, along with countries that believe with a peaceful resolution of the Syrian issue, they would just cooperate with each other.
In the course of the OIC summit in Mecca, Mr. Morsi also presented a proposal so that four powerful countries of the region including Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey would cooperate and hold consultations in order to look into regional crises such as the Syrian crises.
Also, there was a proposal that was immediately welcomed, that was two phone conversations between the Egyptian foreign minister with the Iranian foreign minister, and this is indicative of preparedness of both parties in order to seriously follow up this issue in order to improve the situation in Syria.
The NAM meeting is an opportunity and it can be analyzed from two perspectives. One aspect is that speaking of the meeting's documents reference has been made to the regional crises. There are three different chapters where the issues are addressed.
One is global and international issues that are related to the ideals pursued by the NAM.
Also, the regional crises is addressed by the second chapter issued such as in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, in Africa, Latin America and so on.
In the third chapter, reference has been made to the topics of development and human rights combating illicit drugs and combating human smuggling, and also subjects related to food security, health, energy security, access to information technology and so on. These are developmental topics.
Really, the framework of this document of the meeting, we also have issues related to the regional countries such as Syrian issue and in yesterday's expert level meeting, within the framework of the political committee, different issues were raised. Also, the Syrian issue was addressed at the committee.
There were minor differences of views among some NAM member states and with the management of the Islamic Republic of Iran. But by bringing their views closer together, an agreement was reached.
This agreement that has been reached among the expert level meeting in yesterday's session indicates that there is a suitable atmosphere for adopting effective decisions. In this way, we can make use of the capacity for resolving the crises.
Of course, this has to be confirmed at this afternoon's meeting. This afternoon we have the closing ceremony of the expert level meeting, and the secretary general will in fact present the views of the committees. In case there's no particular consideration, it will be finalized and endorsed.
Tomorrow, at the foreign ministerial meeting of NAM member states, it's going to be put forth.
This is a natural process and the Syrian issue is addressed as well. On the sidelines of this meeting, there is a valuable opportunity. There are senior officials of countries that have close views and they are concerned about the Syrian issue. They are seeking a solution.
We will make use of this opportunity on the sidelines of the meeting, and a comprehensive plan has to be raised. The views of all the conflicting parties will be included in this plan.
The government of course is ready to take more steps with reforms provided that the situation has calmed down. Hopefully, we will be able to make use of this opportunity for resolving the Syrian issue.
Press TV: Another issue, Mr. Mehmanparast, Mr. Salehi, the Iranian Foreign Minister, brought up the issue in his opening statement about the United Nations, and reforms that are needed in the United Nations itself.
Can you tell us about what Iran is thinking about as far as that goes, as far as the UN Security Council goes, etcetera?
Mehmanparast: One of the topics that's being raised amongst NAM member states is the changes that are necessary in the UN, Security Council and also other UN affiliated bodies.
Speaking of the general condition in the international arena, it's a special condition. We can compare it to the situation prevailing after World War II. There were new powers taking shape and some powers were facing a declining trend. There were new currents emerging in the international arena.
The situation's becoming similar to the post World War II era. There's a need for reconsideration.
If this structure was effective, we wouldn't have to face so many crises today. There was a good definition presented at the outset, but in practice there were political pressures by certain powers. You see that many issues of interest are being misused.
There is a motive among member states of the Non-Aligned Movement to have reforms for a better performance of the UN, the Security Council and also UN affiliated bodies and organs.
We, during our presidency over NAM [and] through the collaboration of member states, we seek to present initiatives and plans so that the Non-Aligned Movement as an integrated body with a unified approach would present its views with necessary reforms at the UN and international relations. Hopefully we will be able to attain the objectives set by NAM and also the goals that most of those countries believe in.
