Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the United States’ use of dollar as a weapon against other countries will only lead to economic terrorism targeting the lives of ordinary people, calling for global action against American unilateralism.
“We believe that the international community must confront the US’s hostile and unilateralist approach by taking a firm decision and effective measures,” Rouhani said in an address to a summit of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) in the Armenian capital of Yerevan on Tuesday.
He added that the EAEU summit would serve as a good opportunity for the participants to exchange views and find solutions to the ongoing regional and international issues, expressing hope that the discussions would be fruitful.
Important progress in Yerevan as Iran joins #EEU Summit, and together with Member States, ratifies PTA.
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) October 1, 2019
With parallel work on North-South & South-West Transit Corridors, ground paved for expansion in regional trade & cementing of our role as vital transit hub.#NeighborsFirst pic.twitter.com/Mqgz10fZsm
Rouhani emphasized that the world order is based on multilateralism and joint cooperation among all members of the international community, and that all countries are duty-bound to counter unilateralism in order to maintain global peace, security and stability.
The Iranian president said the US has, in recent years, pursued unilateral approaches and jeopardized mutual and international agreements, including the 2015 nuclear deal on the Iranian nuclear program, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
“Unfortunately, as a result of the US destructive measures, we are witnessing many problems in economic relations among countries, increasing poverty, insecurity and immigration as well as a decline in economic development in the world,” Rouhani said, warning that the continuation of such policies would lead to irreparable damage.
He stressed the importance of strengthening multilateral and regional economic cooperation in line with multilateralism in the international system.
Elsewhere in his address, the Iranian president said the Islamic Republic is determined to have more dynamic economic ties at regional and international levels.
“Signing a trade agreement between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union indicates Iran’s comprehensive and constructive viewpoint and its political will to help expand multilateral and regional economic and trade relations,” Rouhani said.
He added that the implementation of the agreement would be a step towards the strengthening of trade structures among countries.
He expressed hope that Iran would enjoy enhanced trade and economic cooperation with Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Belarus within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union.
Speaking in an interview in Tehran on Monday before leaving for Yerevan, the Iranian president said joining the EAEU provides the country’s public and private economic sectors with a very good opportunity to develop their foreign trade activities.
The Eurasian Economic Union is an international organization for regional economic integration. It has international legal personality and is established by the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union.
The EAEU provides for free movement of goods, services, capital and labor, pursues coordinated, harmonized and single policy in the sectors determined by the treaty and international agreements within the union.
The member states of the Eurasian Economic Union are the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic and the Russian Federation.
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