Pres. Rouhani: Int'l community should stand against US' unilateral approach by taking serious decisions

AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Iran's President described the temporary signing of trade agreement between Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) as showing Tehran’s inclusive and constructive approach, and invited EAEU investors to take advantage of Iran’s ample potentials and infrastructures for deepening ties.

Speaking at the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) summit on Tuesday in Yerevan, Armenia, President Hassan Rouhani welcomed any cooperation with EAEU member states in financial and banking fields, as well as investment through new, effective mechanisms.

President Hassan Rouhani’s speech is as follows:

In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

Your Excellency Mr. Pashinyan, the Honorable Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia

Honorable Presidents

Honorable Prime Ministers

Ladies and Gentlemen

I am very delighted to have the historic oppurtunity of participating in the august Summit Meeting of the Eurasian Economic Union in the beautiful and historical city of Yerevan. I am pleased that my presence here conincides with the preparations of the implementation of the temporary agreement on trade arrangements of the Islamic Republic of Iran with this Union. Also, I would like to cordially appreciate the fforts of His Excellency Mr. Pashinyan, the Honorable Prime Minister of Armenia for holding this important meeting and for the proper hospitality provided to me and my delegation.

Distinguished Participants

The Summit Meeting of the Eurasian Economic Union is a unique oppurtunity for exchanging views and finding solutions for some of the most important regional and international issues and I hope our meeting today would produce fruitful and valuable outcome.

The global system has been founded on multilateralism and joint efforts of all the members of the International Community and therefore all the countries of the world are duty bound and responsible to combat with unilateralism in order to help safeguard international peace, security, stablity and order.

The resistance of such countries as the Islamic Republic of Iran against the hostile and unilateral measures of the United States has resulted in inhuman and severe sanctions. The United States in recent years has employed and applied a unilateral approach and ignored its obligations and violated international agreements and bilateral treaties with many other countries such as China and Russia and has targetted even some of its allies. In our belief, the international community should stand against the US hostile and unilateral approach by taking serious decisions and effective measures. The US coercive measures and the use of dollar as weapon constitute an act of economic terrorism that target the life and living of ordinary people.

Distinguished Participants

The implementation of the nuclear deal or the JCPOA as an effective pattern of successful multilateral diplomacy for the settlement of international issues requires the full complience of all the signitories to the deal and all the UN Member States have been obligated to comply with and support the implementaion of its provisions.

The Islamic Republic of Iran expects the signitories to the JCPOA to act in compliance with the deal. Under the present sensitive circumstances, not only the JCPOA participants but all the other UN Member States should make all the necesasry efforts to support and safeguard this multialteral achievment in order to strengthen regional and international cooperation, security and stability.

Unfortunately, as the result of the US destructive measures, today we are facing many problems at the world stage in the economic and commercial realtions among countries as well as increasing poverty, insecurity, migration and reducing economic growth. And the continuation of such escalatory atmosphere will result in damages which cannot be compensated. Under such conditions of fear and disappointment in itnernational system, we require regional and multilateral cooperation parallel to multilateralism at the global level. Therefore, the Islamic Republic of Iran firmly supports any collective and regional cooperation within the framework of economic, commercial and political unions such as the Euroasian Economic Union, the Economic Coopretation Organization, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Asian Cooperation Dialoge as the main important tools in regional economic and political integration.

Ladies and Gentlmen

The policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran is based on maintaining peace and stability in the region and the Persian Gulf as well as freedom and security of navigation and shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Recent incidents have seriousely jeopardized such security. Peace and security in the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz shall be guaranteed with the participation of all the countries of this region. And as I reiterated in this year's General Assembly of the United Nations, we invite all the countries affected by the developments in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz to the Hormuz Peace Endeavor or the HOPE Coalition. This coalition aims to enhance peace, stability, progress and welfare for all the residents of the Strait of Hormuz. It will also lead to mutual understanding and peaceful and friendly relations among them. This initiative encompasses various avenues of cooperation such as the collective supply of energy, freedom of navigation and free movement of oil and other resources from and to the Strait of Hormuz and beyond.

Distinguished Participants

The Islamic Rpeublic of Iran is determined to diversify its economic and trade relations and rely on economy of resilience and more active regional and international cooperation.

The trade agreement between the Islamic Rpeublic of Iran and the Euroasian Economic Union signifies the comprehensive and constrcutive approach of Iran in harmony with a strong political determination to contribute to the development of multilateral and regional economic and commercial relations. The implementation of this trade agreement would constitute an important step towards strengthening multilateral trade structures.

Iran's geographical position has provided the possibility of stronger connectivity between Europe and Asia and many countries in the west, east, north and south. We are interested in exploiting such god-given gift in order to contribute to the sustainable development and progress of our country as well as the economic integration of the countries of the region in the best possible manner. In this respect, various rail and road corridors have been designed and constrcuted with huge investments in order to facilitate transit and transport. Such corridors include the North-South corridor, the Persian Gulf-Black Sea corridor, the Ashqabad Agreement corridor, the ECO rail and road corridor and many airway and aviation corridors. The ports of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Caspian Sea, the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean Rim especially Chabahr Port as well as Iran's safe rail, road and air networks have created the possibility of stronger connectivity with the neighboring countries and other continents.

The Euroasian Economic Union is able to realize all its capaity and move towards strategic transit and transport integration and convergence. Therefore, I would like to propose that the member countries of this union devise a strategy for the facilitation of transit in Euroasia in order to simplify and cut transit and transport procedures and regulations as well as to faciliate the traffic of transit and transport operators and passengers and trucks inside Euroasia through designing and developing smart solutions and minimizing obstacles on the way of more facilitated transactions.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has already set up extensive facilities and infrastructure in free trade, industrial and special economic zones particularly in the south and north of the country including the Chabahar Free Zone, Amirabad Free Zone in Mazandaran, Anzali Free Zone in Gilan and Aras Free Zone in East Azarbaijan. We stand ready to provide valuable facilities and more infrastructure for the expansion of our trade relations with the Euroasians Economic Union. Therefore, I would like to take this oppurtunity to invite the Euroasian Economic Union investors to enjoy and benefit from such facilities and capabilities to enhance mutual relations.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has adopted one of the most comprehensive laws to encourage and support foreign investment, and stands ready to warmly receive and host investors and entreprenures of the Euroasian Economic Union and hold investment oppurtunities forums in the near future. In this respect, we welcome any cooperation with the member states of the Euroasian Economic Forum in financial and banking sectors and investment especially through new and effective mechanisms. I would like to propose that a special ad hoc group is established comprising of the representatives of the Union members and the Islamic Republic of Iran in order to operationalize ideas and initiatives for joint venture and investment in Euroasia.

Distinguished Participants

I hope that the Islamic Republic of Iran would benefit from the contribution and and cooperation of freind countries of the Russian Federation, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgiztan and Belarus in overcoming the present obstacles and witness the further enhancement of economic and trade relations in addition to good political ties. Here, once again, I strech the hand of assisstance and cooperation to you and I believe that in cooperation with each other, we would be able to introduce to other parts of the world as an effective model the economic relations of our region within the framework of the Euroasian Economic Union.

In conclusion, once again I should like to thank all the high ranking officials and organizers of this summit. I hope the presence of the heads of state and government in this meeting would pave the way for the Euroasian Economic Union to play a stronger role and enjoy a higher status in the region and the international system.

I thank you for your attention.

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