Iran seeks “maximum interaction” with all countries around the world based on increasing formation of a “civilised global community”
As one of his travel plans to Russia, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran addressed the State Duma of Russia and stated, “The Islamic Republic of Iran seeks “maximum interaction” with all countries around the world, especially its neighbours and allies”.
The full text of President Raisi’s speech is as follows:
In the name of God, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
His Excellency Mr Volodin,
Honourable Chairman of the State Duma of Russia,
Dear representatives,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
At the outset, I would like to express my satisfaction with the friendly government and nation of the Russian Federation for the warm welcome and hospitality of me and my accompanying delegation in the beautiful city of Moscow.
I seize the opportunity to congratulate the Russian nation and government on the birthday of Jesus Christ and the New Year. The people of Iran and the World of Islam respect Jesus Christ and his pure mother, Saint Mary, and based on the teachings of the Quran, believe that the most important common message of all Abrahamic religions is the spiritual development of humanity through worship of the Lord of the Worlds, which in itself promotes peace and intimacy and the emergence of God-loving and, consequently, human societies. At the same time, worshiping God always takes its meaning from avoiding obedience and worshiping any entity other than God.
I am very glad that in the programmes of this trip, there was an opportunity to attend the State Duma and meet with you, the representatives of the people with the ancient culture and civilisation of Russia. In this regard, I would like to thank Mr Volodin, the Honourable Chairman of the State Duma of Russia, the Deputy Chairman of the Duma, the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee and other members of the State Duma for organising this programme and giving me the opportunity to speak.
As I mentioned in a cordial meeting and constructive conversation with Mr Volodin, when the Russian political delegation attended my inauguration; the Islamic Republic of Iran has the necessary will and readiness to develop and expand relations with the Russian Federation.
Today, fortunately, there are very clear horizons for cooperation between the two countries at the bilateral, regional and international levels. Strengthening Iran-Russia relations in bilateral and multilateral forms will boost the economies of the two nations and strengthen regional and international security. The abundant, yet complementary economic and trade capacities of the two countries, along with the power and influence of each of our two countries in their geographical areas, can strengthen the convergence between the regions.
The Islamic Republic of Iran seeks “maximum interaction” with all countries around the world, especially its neighbours and allies. The purpose and basis of this cooperation and interaction is the mutual interests of nations and the increasing formation of a “civilised global community”. This path can be achieved through the cooperation of independent countries with high cultures and attention to the principles of “justice, morality and spirituality”. Undoubtedly, the root of what human society suffers from today is the separation of politics from morality and spirituality. Violence, terrorism, the collapse of the family institution, and the spread of drugs do not come from a spiritualist mind-set. Any structure created on the basis of this segregation intensifies the suffering of humanity and, instead of promoting justice, structures oppression and creates the roots causes of domination.
Distinguished Representatives,
The experience of an international system based on domination shows that its output was nothing but war, violence, insecurity and division among nations. The failure of the policy of military occupation and forcing the United States to flee Iraq and Afghanistan stems from one concept: resistance of nations. The idea of resistance serves the independence of countries. In modern times, the concept of resistance plays a central role in deterrence equations. The successful model of cooperation between Iran and Russia in Syria has also ensured the independence of the countries and the consolidation of regional security in the continuation of the resistance of the Syrian people and government. In this regard, we have enjoyed the cooperation of the Russian Federation with the intelligent leadership of Mr Putin, which is commendable and can be considered an effective model for the development of cooperation in various fields.
However, the war on terrorism has been part of the war on hegemony; because terrorism is one of the by-products of hegemony. The strategy of domination has now failed, and the United States is in its weakest position, and the power of independent nations is experiencing its historic growth. The important thing in this age, which requires vigilance, is that the desires for domination have not disappeared and new forms of domination are on the agenda. The most important goal of this agenda is to weaken independent governments from within, which is pursued through economic sanctions, destabilisation, the promotion of insecurity, and false narratives of events; In such a way that they try to change the place of the oppressor and the oppressed in public opinion.
The “evil alliance” of the United States with terrorists is clear to the world, especially to the nations of West Asia, from Syria to Afghanistan. There are now complex plans to send takfiri terrorists on new missions from the Caucasus to Central Asia. Experience has shown that it is pure Islamic thought that can prevent the formation of extremism and takfiri terrorism.
NATO, on the other hand, seeks to infiltrate various geographical areas with new coverings that threaten the common interests of independent states. Promoting pro-Western governments and confronting independent democracies based on national identities and traditions is part of NATO’s cultural projects that reflect the hypocrisy of this diminishing pattern of behaviour.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Sanctioning nations is a common form of new domination, and countering it requires the cooperation of independent states and a collective response. Otherwise, sanctions will affect all countries, even US allies, under various pretexts. The United States claims that the sanctions are due to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear activities. Everyone knows that these activities are legal and under the constant supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency. But the reality is that in different historical periods of Iran’s development, whenever our nation has raised the banner of nationalism, independence, or scientific development, it has faced sanctions and pressures of the Iranian nation’s enemies.
Dear Representatives,
The policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, according to the fatwa of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, is that we are not looking for a nuclear weapon, and such weapons have no place in our defence strategy. America seeks to oppose the rights of our nation. Our philosophy is also clear: “We do not relinquish the rights of our nation”. Those chanting, “America is back” have not yet fulfilled their obligations under the nuclear deal. We are not satisfied with anything less than our rights. The Islamic Republic of Iran is serious about reaching an agreement if the other parties are serious about lifting the sanctions effectively and operationally.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The policy of maximum interaction of the Islamic Republic of Iran with independent governments is original and will continue regardless of the developments in the international environment. The Islamic Republic of Iran is the winner of two battlefields against terrorism and the campaign of maximum economic pressure. At the same time, the Islamic Republic of Iran has extensive economic potential, especially in the fields of energy, trade, agriculture, industry and technology, which pave the way for beneficial cooperation for any bilateral or multilateral interaction with different countries. In this regard, basic agreements were reached between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation, which will cause a significant leap in bilateral economic relations for the benefit of the two nations, and effective regional cooperation for the benefit of peace and stability of nations in different regions. The privileged geographical location of Iran, especially the north-south corridor, can make trade from India to Russia and Europe less expensive and more prosperous. Stabilising and benefiting the relations between the two countries requires the expansion of cooperation in the fields of science, society, culture and media, and we are ready for the maximum development of stable and long-term relations. To this end, we believe that the relations between the two countries should be designed in such a way that, while providing mutual benefits, they are also safe from the interference of third parties.
Distinguished Representatives
Fortunately, there are good relations between the parliaments of the two countries, and the interactions that exist in the form of the High Parliamentary Commission, between various commissions and committees, as well as parliamentary friendship groups, helps a lot to develop friendly relations between the two countries, especially in the economic field, in addition to promoting parliamentary relations. We consider the role of parliaments to be very important for the development of relations between the two countries, and we welcome it, both bilaterally and multilaterally.
The Islamic Republic of Iran considers and supports Russia’s initiative to hold a meeting of the Speakers of the Parliaments of Iran, Russia, Turkey, Pakistan and China in the fight against terrorism.
We hope to see the promotion of relations and the benefit of the people of the two countries from the benefits of these relations and the establishment of peace and stability in the region by making the most of the capacities and continuing cooperation between the two countries in regional and international issues.
I sincerely appreciate your kind attention.
I wonder how long Iran’s ascension at the SCO will take. It took Pakistan and India about two years but, I suspect it has to do with the tricky relationship between them.
Here’s some more good news that should trigger the Americans and make them soil their panties in fear and anger. ;-)
Iran, Russia, and China set to conduct joint naval drills
https://thecradle.co/Article/news/5927
Of note is the Ayatollah prioritising and addressing at the beginning of his speech, the spiritual, religious and moral environment, building a bridge between Christian Russia and Islamic Iran.
`The contrast between the immoral, corrupt and lying Western politicians could not be more stark. There are few citizens of the West who would willingly sacrifice their lives for the rotting carcass that their politicians have made from what were once civilised Nations.
Honesty, morality and truth need to return to Western politics before it is too late.
“Iran seeks ‘maximum interaction’ with all countries around the world based on increasing formation of a ‘civilised global community”
And one of the IMO fantastic new things that Iran is undertaking is direct, nation-to-nation barter of Iranian oil for whatever manufactured goods or investment that another friendly nation is willing to trade for oil. This is descibed in an article published today on the “Iran Daily Online” website entitled “NIOC head: Iran oil sales growing since new gov’t took office”
https://irandaily.ir/News/319534.html
Below is part of the above article’s interview of Mohsen Khojasteh-Mehr, the CEO of the National Iranian Oil Company, in which he discusses the barter of Iran’s oil for other nation’s products and investments:
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” Q: Recently, the issue of barter of oil in exchange for domestic and foreign investment has been raised. How serious is this issue?
A: Yes, this is included in the Iranian year of 1401 budget and barter is a possibility. Barter can now happen in many forms. For instance the government can use the barter mechanism to pay off its creditors according to its regulations.
Q: Is it planned for domestic investments and payment of domestic debts or it also includes foreign investments?
A: In general, it is for any company to whom a debt is owed. The issue has been observed in the relevant regulations in the next year’s budget bill.
Q: Have you received any request from a foreign investor to make investment in any part of Iran’s economy, from roadbuilding to construction of a refinery in exchange for oil?
A: If this is to happen, the executive bodies will follow up the issue through the Plan and Budget Organization (PBO), and the NIOC will make the payment based on the authorization it receives from the PBO. The way is open and the necessary process for barter will take place.
The budget bill specifies the amount of funds the organizations can use for it.
We are ready for it. Any company or investor, be it domestic or foreign, we are ready to repay it with oil consignments.
Q: Is this the first time that the issue of oil barter has been included in the budget bill?
A: Yes, it was not in the budget for the current Iranian year and before.
Q: Is China willing to invest in Iran in exchange for oil?
A: These are usually discussed in negotiations between countries. We expect that it will happen. It’s not just about China.
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Again, I think that the above news is potentially earth-shattering for pretty obvious reasons — the biggest being no “money” and, therefore, no SWIFT or SWIFT-clone involved. I can easily imagine how a potential barter deal could be arranged over the phone or by email. From this a detailed contract could be drawn up and signed by both parties and each gets a copy. A tanker of oil moves from Iran to its destination country’s port of entry. A cargo ship loaded with whatever moves from the other nation to an Iranian port. Representatives from the two nations examine and certify that the contents of the two ships meet or don’t meet the specifications spelled out in the contract. Before offloading either ship, the parties contact each other by phone and, if there are any shortcomings, discuss how both parties can become fully satisfied, if at all possible. Cargoes are then either offloaded or, if he shortcomings cannot be addressed, shipped back to their origins.
Iran has long been excluded from SWIFT.
Which is why Obama was forced to return Iran’s stolen money by the pallet load in mixed currency.
The US EU crazies are howling they want Russia banished from SWIFT – but the bankers see all the juicy ticket clipping that’s been lost from Iran.
Agree Iran trading outside the USD and SWIFT is the correct approach.
And Russia is also conducting a lot more trade in partner currency.
This could be fruition of the Islamic prophecy of Muslims and Orthodox Christians uniting against a common enemy.
An excellent speech and proposals! I assume the documents outlining Iran’s long-term plan for its interactions with Russia were those briefly mentioned. I look forward to great synergy between Iran, Pakistan and Russia boosted by China’s input. India must cease its love affair with the Anglo nations and get with the program of developing its immense–and mostly untapped–human capital.