Close ties with neighbors prerequisite to US expulsion: Iran deputy FM
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Baqeri-Kani said cordial ties with neighboring countries were a prerequisite to the ultimate expulsion of US forces from West Asia.
Speaking at a TV program on Sunday morning, Baqeri-Kani said Iran had prioritized the policy of de-escalating tensions with regional and neighboring states and would not allow foreigners to take advantage of possible gaps, Press TV reported.
“By consolidating our very strategic and deep-rooted relations with neighboring countries, including Azerbaijan, we show a serious will to create a stable region through collective cooperation and security in order to provide a basis for the US withdrawal from the region,” he added.
“The US pullout from the region requires us to create a brotherly, friendly and unbreakable bond with neighbors. This is a firm and strategic decision of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s government.”
The senior diplomat also hailed the Iranian government’s interaction with the neighboring countries.
“President Ebrahim Raisi managed to resolve obstacles hindering the expansion of ties between Iran and its neighbors,” he noted. Since taking office in 2021, Raisi’s government has pursued a good neighborliness policy and forged partnership with several countries.
Last March, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed under a Chinese-brokered deal to restore diplomatic relations severed in 2016.