Rowhani: Western states should deal with root causes of terrorism 

 
     
  Tehran, Jan 16, IRNA -- Chairman of German Parliamentary Commission on Foreign Affairs Hans Ulrich Klose and Secretary of Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Hassan Rowhani on Wednesday held talks on mutual and international issues.   
 

     Rowhani pointed to the growing parliamentary cooperation between Iran and Germany and said it is expected that all existing capacities should be explored to develop bilateral cooperation and hoped that the German government would seriously support the decisions made by the German Federal Assembly (Bundestag) about Tehran-Berlin relations.
     "The current trade relations should be directed to long-term economic cooperation. Obstacles should not be created in the way of the economic cooperation," Hojjatoleslam Rowhani said. 
     "The reason that Iran becomes signatory to international conventions is to pave the way for access to modern technology which developed countries have made commitments to provide," Rowhani pointed out.
"It is not comprehensible that Iran makes unilateral commitments by signing the international conventions while the developed nations including Germany do not observe their commitment to supply modern technology. They are expected to take practical actions in this respect," the SNSC secretary pointed out. 
     He said that Iran demands reduction of the risk rate for investment in Iran in light of the economic reform and recovery of the monetary and financial situation in the country. 
     Rowhani referred to the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States and said that terrorism is an ugly and dangerous action for which a particular culture, religions or nation is not responsible.
     He expressed concern about taking self satisfying actions in different parts of the world under pretext of fighting terrorism. 
     "The root causes of terrorism should be identified. Poverty, deprivation, civil war, regional conflicts, the unjust actions of the big powers are the causes of terrorism. We think that there is still a lack of serious will in the West to deal with root causes of terrorism," he said. 
     He said that after the September 11 terrorist attacks an international resolve has taken shape to combat terrorism, but, the United States is pursuing its own interests. 
     The US, and to an extent European Union (EU), support for the Zionist regime have led the Muslim World to form a judgment that the western states are not serious in campaign against terrorism, he said adding that the world Muslims are dissatisfied with western double standard toward terrorism and the EU position toward the Palestinian freedom fighters. 
     "The Islamic Republic of Iran believes that the Zionist regime and its racist goals are the main stumbling block to make the Middle East free from weapons of mass destruction which is the main threat to the region," he said. 
     "Afghanistan is a good example for clarifying what objectives the US is pursuing under the slogan of campaign against terrorism," Rowhani said. 
     The Islamic Republic of Iran has made its best to help restore peace and security in Afghanistan and will not withhold any assistance for the reconstruction of Afghanistan in future, he said.
Rowhani said that Iran's ports, roads and facilities are open to assist in the reconstruction of Afghanistan. 
     He said that the international community should provide the urgent needs of the Afghan people and contribute to replace poppy cultivation with other crops. Iran has made investments in this field in Afghanistan and the EU is expected to seriously contribute to campaign against poppy cultivation in Afghanistan, he said.
     For his part, Klose said that the two countries have decided to develop parliamentary cooperation and hold meetings between officials of the Iranian and German parliaments every year. 
     He said that without Iran's help, the Bonn Conference on Afghanistan (last month) could not succeed so that Germany is interested in Iran's continued cooperation in reconstruction of Afghanistan.
     Klose said that the world has been brought on track and hoped that with Iran-Germany cooperation in Afghanistan, the two countries would achieve common objectives.
     He pointed to his visit to Iran two years ago and said that the German Federal Assembly has conveyed Iran's views to the German government during the past two years which served to boost the economic cooperation. Reduction of the risk rates for investment in Iran is under consideration, Klose said.
     Klose said that Germany considers Mujahedeen Khalq Organization (MKO) as a terrorist group and has made its activities illegal in Germany. Recently German court has sentenced several MKO leaders to prison terms in Germany, he said. 
     On the Middle East, Klose said that the number one problem is that Israel does not consider the Palestinians on an equal footing. Israel deals with Palestinians as second class people. Both Israel and its neighboring states are afraid of each other. 
     The solution to the Middle East crisis is to grant equal status for the two parts of the conflict, Klose said. 
     He said that the EU's position toward the Middle East has undergone a drastic change and the EU has abandoned its unilateral support to Israel. In the meantime, the Palestinian issue is very complicated. The first step is that Israel observe Palestinian nation's equal footing, Klose said. 

 
 

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