Iran Press/ Iran news: Mohammad Javad Zarif delivered a speech at the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) mid-term ministerial meeting.
The full text of his speech is as follows:
The surging wave of global challenges we face today has reinforced the need for more collective action at the international level. Multilateralism is no longer the prudent alternative. But, it is the only viable response to the world’s pressing crises.
There can be no doubt that the Non-Aligned Movement—as a powerful intergovernmental platform—can provide an excellent opportunity to promote and strengthen global partnerships at a time of increasing unilateralism and protectionism in the international arena.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been the biggest worldwide solidarity test in generations. It has reminded us of how interdependent we are and how crucial international cooperation is to our collective health, prosperity, and security.
This pandemic—as any other—calls for a solid coordinated international response that can rapidly expand access to testing, treatment, and vaccines while recognition of extensive immunization as a public good that must be available and affordable for everyone, including developing countries.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has consistently and continuously demonstrated its commitment to multilateralism as a robust foreign policy tenet. As such, we continue to defend the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security in West Asia. In this regard, we are engaged in active cooperation with the UN in peace efforts in Yemen, Syria, and Afghanistan. We proposed the 'Hormuz Peace Endeavor—HOPE' and a 'Regional Dialogue Forum' in the Persian Gulf as inclusive approaches to cooperation and dispute settlement.
At the global level, we have demonstrated our resolute commitment to dialogue and diplomacy by actively participating in various international fora to tackle many international challenges, including in recent months the negotiations to revive and resuscitate the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). This, despite the abject failure of Europe to provide the promised economic dividends to our people following the unlawful US withdrawal from the JCPOA and the reluctance of the new US administration to abandon Trump’s failed 'maximum pressure' policy.
Multilateralism has been weakened, and its practice is threatened by unilateralism and bullying practices of certain powers. The extreme unilateral adventurism of the US is the most critical challenge that almost all of us have been facing in some way.
It undermines the rule of law at the international level and threatens peace and stability throughout the world. While some nations are threatened by economic terrorism and military aggressions, others bear the brunt of a crude American protectionist impulse.
The blind and unbridled support for apartheid in Palestine, and the denial of the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people, further exacerbate the unstable situation in the entire Middle East region. The very few Arab countries who have aligned themselves with these and other US schemes not only betray the Palestinian people but further jeopardize peace and security in the whole region.
To defend multilateralism, this is necessary to reject and prevent any perceived benefit and advantage drawn from unlawful unilateral actions and to reject any pressure in contravention of international law and UN Security Council resolutions.
Today it is more incumbent upon NAM than ever to form a united front to reject unilateralism and promote multilateralism to tackle all the complex challenges facing our movement today collectively.
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