Foreign Minister Praises Iran's Developing Path to Democracy

Mr. Zarif considers Democracy as one of the main pillars of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Photo courtesy: www.iran-gma.com

(SALEM, Ore.) - Speaking before the European Parliament's 71-member committee on foreign affairs committee in Brussels is regarded as one of the key programs during Mr. Zarif's European tour.

The Iranian top diplomat elucidated the principles of Islamic Republic of Iran's foreign policy vis–à–vis the international challenges and responded to the questions posed by several MPs concerning the regional conflicts , encompassing Syria, Yemen, Iraq, tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia as well as issues relating to Human Rights in Iran.

Foreign Minister Zarif highlighted the very fact that over the past few decades, elections held by all incumbent administrations resulted in the landslide victory of the government's rival current, adding, Mr. Khatami's administration was the outcome of an election organized by his predecessor, Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani, Mr. Ahmadinejad's presidency came about when Mr. Khatami was holding office and, accordingly President Rouhani's tenure is the result of the election carried out by the latter's staunch opponent, Mr. Ahmadinejad; thus doesn't this marvelous reality demonstrate all but the sincerity of Iranian budding democracy?

By asking this question "where you can find a country where elections did not been interrupted even in times of crises such as wars?" Mr. Zarif considered Democracy as one of the main pillars of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Mr. Zarif stressed that dialogue for Human Rights should not be one-sided and arbitrary and no country or group of countries have no rights to impose their idiosyncratic approach on other sovereign nations.

It is noteworthy that the tenth round of the Iran parliamentary elections will be held simultaneously with the election for assembly of experts on February 26 to determine the course of the 290-seat legislative body.