(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - “Dialogue among Basra, Bushehr and Muscat does not imply the exclusion of others,” Salehi said.
According to ABNA, in a message to this ongoing international conference of "Bushehr-Basra-Muscat" hosted by Persian Gulf University in Bushehr and held by cooperation of Foreign Ministry, Universities of Basra, Iraq and Sultan Qaboos, Oman, Ali Akbar Salehi wrote: "I became really delighted to hear the auspicious news of holding second conference to study socio-historical relations between Basra, Bushehr and Muscat in less than a year as a member of Persian Gulf states in our contemporary world which is formed following important industrial, agricultural, communications and military revolutions distinct from ancient traditions and frameworks dominating the ancient world.
Old procedures and principles of social relations among ethnic groups have been transformed.
Elsewhere in this message he says: "In this new atmosphere and ground, conditions have formed that have transformed old procedures and principles of social relations among ethnic groups. This transformation has sometimes occurred intentionally and with direct whims of adventurous agents and sometimes has been caused by lack of knowledge and historical memory and not relying upon our predecessors' experiences."
In foreign minister message: "The result of this condition is that we face a world which is turbulent and sometimes far from affections of our fathers."
Elsewhere it reads:" in this atmosphere the secrets of success and the way to rebuild the forgotten confidence is summarized in this fact that having fundamentally explored the history and referred to authentic documents, we should build a conditions that posterities can benefit from our scientific endeavors to organize some efficient and successful regional systems.
In his message, foreign minister says: "Therefore when I realized how fruitful the initiative to establish dialogue among regional universities and research centers has been, whether the report of the first round in Basra or holding of the second round in Bushehr within ten months or the hope to continue these talks throughout the region hosted by Muscat, it occurred to me as the representative of Islamic republic of Iran's diplomatic system to mention some discussions and points to be researched.
Dialogue and Participation in Joint Projects and Researches with Regional Countries
In this message we read: "History of our region is filled with associations and dissociations not being understood in the same way in the region. Whether caused by difficulty in communication or political considerations, lack of attention from scholars and thinkers of our region will not be accepted and considered reasonable by posterities. To fill this gap and complete the historical mosaic of the region, dialogue and participation in joint projects and researches is more effective and beneficial than any other factor.
This message continues: "Therefore to enter this highway finding appropriate options would not be futile. Thus when the relation among Basra, Bushehr and Muscat is put forth as a subject for dialogue, numerous fields where these three cities can be influential attract attention."
In his message Salehi writes: "In fact studying documents and archives, finding the secrets of our ancestors' social and historical relations, paying attention to the beneficial results of their interactions and cooperation or avoiding and distancing from competition and animosity is an inevitable necessity for inter-regional cooperation.
Foreign minister said: "Among these three cities there is a sea. When it is turbulent a sailor from Basra, Bushehr or even Muscat can't benefit from endless bounties of these bountiful waters to guarantee their survival. However when this sea subsides and opens its serene seashores to brave sailors whether Omani, Iranian or Iraqi, it is equally spread only to the extent of efforts it offers. Thus I strongly believe that our neighbors' and our main common requirement in this bountiful region replete with natural resources and achieved opportunities is to decrease turbulence and make interactions and exchanges more peaceful within this geographical region.
This message adds:" It seems when this requirement is considered as a principle and what is invested in this field or spend on studies and research costs are among the initial steps toward confidence building and returning to ancient roots and sweet eras. Therefore whatever sweetens the taste of our mind and thoughts and augment our belief in unity should be placed in agenda.
Salehi says in his message:" To my belief, the capacity of this region is like what Sa'di Shirazi mentions as;" When Sa'di meets a trader in Kish Island one night, he hears that another trade is ahead and that is nothing but "I will take Persian sulfur to China because I have heard it is very expensive then I will bring Chinese bowls to Rome and Roman fabric to India and Indian steel to Halab and Halabi glass to Yemen and Yemeni fabric to Fars"
This message further says:" Therefore centuries after Sa'di with the current capacities we can hope that the continuity and availability of the results of such conferences causes us to have the same feelings for sweetness of Muscati of Muscat, dates of Basra and Bushehri halva. In fact we should consider our historical responsibility in the necessity to build a collective regional system and not permitting political and security-based schemes from the outside and alien interventions influence our destiny."
The Story of Mass Suicides by Dolphins
Foreign minister said: "Sometimes when we hear the news about mass suicides by dolphins on seashores we envy how they feel responsible. Witnessing their habitat and their historical environment vulnerable to destruction due to humans' negligence, dolphins project themselves onto the seashores in a symbolic action to awaken negligent conscience of management bodies. This question always occurs whether we can reach a common feeling about the heart of history and realities within this region which has built a set fights and disputes and somehow show in our behavior that we are responsible not to let improper and baseless interpretations of the background of relations among our ancestors wrote by orientalists be institutionalized.
Dialogue among Basra, Bushehr and Muscat Does Not Imply the Rejection of Others
In this message we read: "In fact conferences like this and creating inter-regional cooperation teams can compensate this set of these defects and answer the questions in our mind. Obviously in these types of cooperation our traditional approaches should be based on documents and archives that thanks to efforts in regional countries in recent years have become accessible so that in this way it may be possible to reconsider and re-examine orientalists' judgments and analyses. Thus the cooperation of document archives is a fundamental necessity in this initiative; a matter which has been properly addressed by the attendance of different delegations from different fields by organizers of this conference.
This message adds:" Another important factor which makes it possible to continue these initiatives is their fruition and finding a systematic structure. European Union was a simple gathering of producers of charcoal and steel in different European cities. Indian Ocean rim-association for regional cooperation was a gathering of Indian Ocean's littoral states which were trying to achieve a common mechanism to how exploit marine resources in this ocean. Euro-Mediterranean partnership is another example of this level of effort and cooperation among individuals with independent approaches and distinct history and culture to achieve unity which, as a result, will strengthen the grounds for inter-regional cooperation.
In his message foreign minister stated: "In a new experience, the organization of Caspian Sea States enjoys the same potential in this regard. In western Asia the path ahead of these cities which took responsibility to organize first dialogues to describe inter-regional capacities relying on the memory of Silk Road on the sea is important and praiseworthy.
Foreign minister stated: "To open dialogues among Basra, Bushehr and Muscat does not imply the rejection of others whether for their identity or history rather it is the first intention to invite all neighbors to unity based on historical facts and creating an inter-regional collective memory. This path of dialogue which we have opened through Basra, Bushehr and Muscat is a vast and long corridor leading us to our destination only if we tolerate others more. This characteristic will help us board on the ship of mind and imagination and pass through different layers of refreshing waves and write history in cooperation and unity for our posterity instead of being caught in the powerful jaws of the turbulent sea.
The necessity to organize scientific and research cooperation among regional states
In foreign minister's message we read: "For Islamic republic of Iran it is considered a necessity and priority to organize scientific and research cooperation among regional countries. Such a horizon can help consolidate the ground for further collective thinking. In such a reasoning, words and statement not only it will not be challenging but it will also provide means for study and criticize its development so that if we have stepped on the wrong path we should correct our path. And if it is decided to criticize and examine our assessments, we should have the capability have the capacity of inter-regional activities apart free of non-native indices.
Elsewhere in this message it says:" Basra, Bushehr and Muscat are reasonable and appropriate choices. The main point of exchange of this triangle at sea has been ports that will lead to responsible and active participation of other members of our environment in this path. Our region is on the verge of an important and fundamental transformation. After years of presence and military and symbolic intervention of great powers, nowadays they speak of leaving Persian Gulf region. These conditions necessitates the regional countries to try to strengthen regional unity, decrease tensions and to increase their communications in all cultural levels specially researchers.
At the end of this message it says: "At the end I would like to express my gratitude toward the organizers whether Iranians in this round and Iraqis in previous round and participants from different countries to share their valuable time to exchange this experience. It is also worthy to thank Bushehr University's commitment holding this round of conference and also institute and organization which directly and indirectly participate in execute this program precisely.
It is prudent to say that international conference of "Bushehr, Basraand Muscat" was held by Bushehr University with the cooperation of Foreign Ministry and participation of Basra University, Iraq and Sultan Qaboos University, Oman on March 10th and 11th.
This conference was held to expand social and historical relations among abovementioned universities and preserve the name of Persian Gulf and create more interaction in people and universities of this civilization region.
In this conference some articles will be presented. Their subjects include remaining capacities of the historical water way between Basra-Bushehr-Muscat, elements forming the local identity in the region with special study on arts and architecture and socio-cultural relations and its historical role in the making of our contemporary world.
Lecturers and scholars from Iran, Oman and Iraq will deliver speeches in this conference. Also professors from Turkey, France, Netherlands and Japan who have studies in this regard will attend.
"Historical Examination of Economic Exchanges on the Sea between Basra Bushehr and Muscat”, “Arts, Architecture and Social, cultural and historical relations of these three cities" are among the special meetings on the sidelines of this conference.
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