Zarif in an Asian tour in search for alternative international contacts

Tabnak – Amid the new wave of US pressures and its attempts to cut Iran’s international contacts, Iranian foreign minister is in a new Asian diplomatic tour is search for alternative communication channels. After visiting Sri Lanka, Zarif is now heading to Singapore for high-level meetings.

According to the official Iranian media, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif who has visited Sri Lanka held separate meetings with the South Asian nation’s prime minister and minister of foreign affairs.

In a Wednesday meeting in Colombo, Zarif and Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe held talks on the bilateral, regional and international issues. Prior to the meeting, the Iranian foreign minister had another meeting with his Sri Lankan counterpart for talks on the latest regional developments and Tehran-Colombo relations.

The two senior diplomats also explored avenues for enhanced ties in the oil and petrochemical industry, construction projects, banking affairs and agriculture. The two ministers also weighed plans for closer cooperation between Iran and Sri Lanka in the international organizations.

Zarif has earlier held meetings with Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and with Parliament Speaker Karu Jayasuriya during his stay in the South Asian country.

During his stay in the Sri Lankan capital, Iranian Foreign Minister touched upon the issue of US pressures on Iran, saying that threats and sanctions will not work, urging the US to respect the Iranian people and its own international commitments.

“Iran & US had 2 yrs of talks. With EU/E3+Russia+China, we produced a unique multilateral accord—the JCPOA. It’s been working. US can only blame itself for pulling out & leaving the table. Threats, sanctions & PR stunts won’t work. Try respect: for Iranians & for int'l commitments,” Zarif said in a message posted on his Twitter account late on Tuesday.

The Iranian foreign minister is also scheduled to visit Singapore to sign a treaty between Iran and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Iran’s Foreign Ministry says there is consensus among the member states of the ASEAN to accept Iran as a member of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC).

Unanimity among all Southeast Asian countries to accept Iran as a party to the Treaty of TAC is indicative of the significance of interaction with Iran as an important and influential country in regional and international equations.

Ministers of foreign affairs of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have convened in Singapore, starting from Monday for six days to discuss regional and trans-regional issues related to this Association and the TAC.

The ministers of ten member states, as well as the ministers of observer countries, including Iran, will discuss the latest regional and trans-regional developments in the 51st session of the Association and the subsidiary meetings, the 19th meeting of ASEAN Plus, the 8th ministerial meeting of East Asia, and the 25th regional conference of ASEAN.