By : Jameel Karki
KUWAIT: Deputy and Official Spokesman for Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ramin Mehman asserted, in an interview with Al Watan Daily, that Iran is willing to assist Kuwait and other Islamic countries in the field of nuclear energy. Speaking on relations with the US, he said they would improve when the US begins to acknowledge the rights of people to live freely, and stops attacking other countries, in addition to ending support of illegitimate countries, such as Israel.
The following is an excerpt from the interview:
How do you assess your visit to Kuwait?
Mehman: This visit has succeeded in bridging gaps in media relations between the two countries. I accompanied several media figures who signed agreements with some newspapers in Kuwait. The agreements between the reporters and the Kuwaiti and Iranian news agencies will enable the exchange of news and pictures, which will make news more accurate since information flow will be direct and documented.
Did you sign any agreements with Kuwaiti officials during this visit?
Mehman: We agreed on some points, but we did not sign any agreements. However, we visited several television and newspaper networks, whose representatives they said that they were willing to cooperate with Iranian authorities to exchange news. Those networks were invited to visit Iran, since there is a reception program for Kuwaiti media personnel. We hope to sign official bilateral cooperation agreements in the field of news and exchanging of pictures in the future, especially since the media plays a pivotal role in reinforcing relationships among people.
Are you willing to assist Kuwait in the field of nuclear energy if you were asked?
Mehman: We are willing to assist all independent and Islamic countries in the field of nuclear energy, including Kuwait, since Kuwait is a neighboring Islamic country.
In a statement made by the US Foreign Secretary Hillary Clinton, she mentioned that the problem is not the Iranian nuclear program, but in the fact that Iran refuses to reveal the location of its nuclear power stations.
Mehman: Well, this is Hillary Clinton's opinion, but we have a different one. We believe that the US and several other countries do not want the rest of the world to possess nuclear power for peaceful purposes. Those countries want to monopolize nuclear energy technology to sell to us for very high prices, to impose their guidelines, and to deprive us of our independence. Clinton knows that our nuclear activities are peaceful and that we were the ones who began the anti-nuclear weapons project.
What is required for relations with the US to improve?
Mehman: The US has to improve its dialogue with other nations and must stop being unjust by adopting discriminating policies. It should also acknowledge the rights of free people to live, and stop attacking other countries, in addition to stop supporting illegitimate countries, such as Israel. If this happens, we have no problem with the US.
Numerous reports have been published on the arrest of several Sunni scholars in Iran. What is your perspective?
Mehman: These are false rumors, since the Sunnis and Shiites live peacefully in Iran, in addition to Christians, Jews, and practitioners of other religions. Sunnis practice their religious rituals and have representatives in the Parliament, regardless of their numbers; but since we respect them, we allowed them to have a representative according to the Constitution. Such false claims regarding religious discord between Sunnis and Shiites are totally false and aim to cause sedition among the people of the Islamic nations. We believe that most of these claims emanate from the Zionist regime.
Until when will the controversy concerning the name of the Gulf exist? What is your comment regarding the suggestion made by a Saudi Arabian writer to call it the Islamic Gulf?
Mehman: There are two subjects that we must not amalgamate. Of course, the Islamic world must live in harmony and peace, since we are all Muslims and we all share the same cause and goals. However, the issue of naming the Gulf an international issue that involves laws, regulations, and historic documents that are approved by the United Nations. There are numerous historic documents that refer to the Gulf as the Persian Gulf. History cannot be manipulated, just like the names of countries; the name of the Gulf cannot be changed.
Has Iran established partnership banks to overcome economic sanctions?
Mehman: Iran has extensive economic programs and the US is committing a grave mistake by imposing illegal sanctions on Iran, since the Iranian people have not committed any crimes. All what we are after is our right of freedom and independence; we will not submit to the US which itself is a perpetrator of crimes. However, since we seek to boost our economic cooperation and develop our economy, we do have projects in collaboration with others in the banking field, in addition to joint investment funds, not to mention major projects in other countries.
Are you concerned about the American presence in the Middle East and Central Asia?
Mehman: We are not concerned about the presence of the American troops in the region. However, we believe that the region will be more stable without their presence. American troops are present in many countries across the world. The Americans, under the excuse of the 9/11 attacks, have invaded Pakistan and Afghanistan, and claimed that the have three goals in Afghanistan, which are to increase security and stability, eliminate terrorism, and eliminate narcotics. However, since the beginning of their military campaign, 110,000 people have been killed in Afghanistan, and security is far from being imposed; quite the contrary, tension has increased, the drug problem has multiplied by thirty, and unemployment rates are skyrocketing. There is no indicator of any security, political stability, or solutions for unemployment; thus we believe that the absence of American forces will lead to stability and security in the region. We also believe that the countries of the region should assist each other to achieve prosperity and security, in addition to beginning joint developmental economic projects.
What is your comment about the fact that some members of the Bin Laden family live in Iran?
Mehman: If you notice, every time the American troops face challenges and fail in accomplishing their goals in Iraq and Afghanistan, they start inventing such statements, especially before commencing negotiations on the Iranian nuclear power issue. The Americans support terrorists in south Iran in Sistan and Baluchistan that are led by a criminal called Abdul Malek Reegi, who formed a terrorist group and beheaded 400 innocent people, in addition to terrorizing many others. The Americans used to support that criminal, and after he was arrested and pictures and other documents emerged, we discovered that the terrorists were trained in American camps. The Americans and the Western countries are not sincere in their war against terrorism, which is evident by this terrorist group that is currently found in those countries' lands. The Americans also deleted the name of Mujahedi Khalk, which is a terrorist group that killed more than 11,000 Iranians before the Islamic Revolution. This group also killed American experts, in addition to plotting and executing terrorist attacks in Iraq. Such groups are welcomed in Europe and are not labeled as terrorists there; thus we should investigate who is the real supporter or the real combatant of terrorism.
Did you discuss with the Iraqi government the presence of Mujahedi Khalk militants in Diali Governorate?
Mehman: In the past, we discussed the matter, and now we waiting for the formation of the Iraqi government to reopen the issue again, because the presence of those militants in Iraq harms the Iranian and Iraqi people.
What about the opposition outside Iran?
Mehman: There are 5 million Iranians outside Iran; maybe thousands of them are part of the opposition, which is a small number when compared to the millions in and outside Iran who support the Iranian nation. The Iranian regime is successful and leads the republic to continuous prosperity, while some western countries support those opposing groups, despite their lack of popularity in Iran and overseas, and this is why their opposition never succeeded, since they always clash with each other.
How do you describe the relationship between Iran, and Saudi Arabia and Egypt?
Mehman: We believe that all Islamic countries must support each other, especially the leading Islamic countries that are influential in the international arena, such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt. We have reiterated several times that Iran should have strong relationships with those countries. There are significant initiatives and steps towards cementing bilateral relationships in Saudi Arabia; but in Egypt, we see that the local officials are not taking serious steps toward cementing the external relationship policies with Iran. However, the Iranian-Egyptian relationships are beneficial for the Islamic world, and the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stated that Iran is ready to establish political relationships with Egypt whenever the Egyptian authorities are ready.
Some Lebanese groups have accused Iran of interfering in the Lebanese domestic affairs and of working to stop the Tribunal Court?
Mehman: We do not interfere in Lebanese domestic affairs, but we support the unity of the Lebanese lands and the Lebanese people. We also defend the resistance against Israel, and support Lebanese government and unity. We believe that the Lebanese people have become politically mature and can now form a new government to rule the country. The visit by the President is evidence that Iran has relationships with various political parties in Lebanon. This visit was a response to the invitation sent made by the Lebanese president Michel Suleiman. The visit was successful by all means, and led to the development of the Lebanese economy, in addition to signing 16 memorandums of cooperation in the fields of industry, technology, information, and power.
To what extent do the Iranians support the resistance in Palestine?
Mehman: We support the resistance against Israel, and we warn the Palestinians against dispersion, because their unity will help them in regaining their legitimate rights. The colonizers must be eliminated, since they have come from remote, dispersed lands, while the Palestinian refugees must go back to their homes. When this happens, then a solution can be reached to settle that issue, and a government can be formed, regardless of its religious beliefs, whether Muslims, Christian, or Jewish. The upper hand is for the majority of the Palestinians, and any other solution will be futile.
How do you see the future of the region?
Mehman: We believe that the countries of the region must live in harmony and prosperity by establishing a regional security organization. The western troops must leave the region, since the region has wealth, human resources and the manpower to build a bright future.
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