MP commends FM’s successful neighborly policy
By Sadeq Dehqan
Staff writer
An Iranian lawmaker praised Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the foreign minister, as a valuable asset in the country’s Foreign Ministry, citing the reduction of tensions and misunderstandings in the region between Iran and its neighbors as a significant achievement during his time in the foreign policy arena.
In an interview with Iran Daily, Jalil Rahimi Jahanabadi said Amir-Abdollahian was among the diplomats who gradually progressed through his educational and professional stages at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, gaining a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of work in the ministry and the Islamic Republic’s approaches in foreign policy, especially in the Middle East and the areas of Resistance [against arrogant powers and Zionism].
The member of the parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission called Amir-Abdollahian a loyal diplomat to the Islamic Republic, the Leadership, and the ideals of the Islamic Revolution and martyrs, stating that he had a very positive outlook on the interaction between the field of action and diplomacy, establishing very good relations with governmental sectors, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps forces, and also Parliament members.
“Since he entered the field of foreign policy, he played a very influential role in the country’s foreign policy apparatus in de-escalating relations with neighboring countries. We have witnessed instances of this in relations with countries in Central Asia, Arab countries in the Persian Gulf region, and East Asian countries,” he added.
As a member of the Iran-Vietnam and Iran-Tajikistan parliamentary friendship groups, Rahimi said Amir-Abdollahian’s emphasis and attention to details for resolving issues were commendable in relations with these two states during the visits of the Tajik and Vietnamese parliament speakers to Iran in August and December respectively.
“Amir-Abdollahian was a seasoned diplomat and a great asset to the country’s foreign policy apparatus, and this bitter incident (his death in the helicopter crash) is considered a great sorrow for all of us,” he said.
The Iranian parliamentarian explained the important fields pursued during Amir-Abdollahian’s tenure as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, saying “The first axis was the resolution of tensions and misunderstandings with our neighbors, exemplified by the improvement of relations with Saudi Arabia and the UAE”.
“He also made significant efforts to enhance relations with Egypt and Jordan. Additionally, in managing tensions with Azerbaijan, Amir-Abdollahian was highly effective,” Rahimi said, adding that, “Moreover, he adeptly addressed issues in Iran’s relations with Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. When border issues arose between Iran and Pakistan, Amir-Abdollahian demonstrated expertise in resolving them”.
The Iranian MP emphasized that the foreign minister’s prioritization of improving relations with neighbors and efforts in regional tension reduction should continue to guide foreign policy in the future.
Rahimi said that the next axis of actions initiated by Amir-Abdollahian, which he launched and executed well, was his very positive interaction with representatives in Parliament and his belief in public diplomacy and parliamentary diplomacy.
“In this context, many representatives who were prominent on the global stage were regularly invited to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His last appearance in Parliament was his discussion with the National Security Commission last week”.
The lawmaker mentioned that Amir-Abdollahian had been inviting representatives to various parliamentary commissions and areas in the past few weeks, requesting their progress reports and incorporating their perspectives in diplomatic matters. He praised Amir-Abdollahian’s positive engagement with Parliament as a significant factor.
Rahimi highlighted Amir-Abdollahian’s strong relationships with regional Resistance groups as his third key feature, emphasizing “the importance of Palestine and Iran’s support for resistance groups, which are part of the policies and ideals of the Islamic Revolution that should continue under the next Minister of Foreign Affairs”.
The MP believed that the fourth positive characteristic of Amir-Abdollahian was his belief in consultative and specialized work. “For instance, if there were discussions about appointing individuals to various responsibilities or the need for certain changes and reforms within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amir-Abdollahian used to address these issues by forming councils”.
The lawmaker emphasized that these traits should be pursued by the next Minister of Foreign Affairs in the country.