The Iranian Deputy FM for Arab-African Affairs Hossein Jaberi Ansari made the remarks at a meeting in Tehran with the visiting State Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Sweden Annika Söder.
Söder, whose country has recently joined the United Nation’s Security Council, emphasized the need for finding solutions to regional crises stating “Sweden is eager to play a more influential role in regional issues.”
The visiting official, while noting that Sweden formally recognizes the Palestinian state, voiced regrets over double standards applied to Palestine and the lack of enough attention to the issue on the part of the international community.
She went on to stress the need for a political solution as a way out of the Syrian crisis.
Iran’s Jaberi Ansari, for his part, pointed to the pace and depth of regional developments underscoring the need for proper understanding of present issues and crises as well as finding peaceful solutions to them.
“Existing disputes are of a political nature,” commented Jaberi Ansari adding that some regional actors are seeking to depict a religious image of the conflict which will have deleterious consequences.
He deemed serious negotiations among all involved parties and reliance on people’s votes as an effective way for resolving the crisis.
The official further emphasized the need to consider the humanitarian dimension of Yemeni and Syrian crisis reiterating “humanitarian issues should never be exploited as a tactical tool for achieving political goals.”
Iran’s Deputy FM Jaberi Ansari also voiced regret over the ignorance of international community towards the humanitarian crisis in Yemen over the past one and a half years.
HA/3818647