Countries of the Middle East should unite to cope with the uncontrolled terrorism, outside countries should adhere to the policy of non-military assistance to legitimate governments, the Iranian Ambassador to Russia, Mehdi Sanaei, said in an interview to Vestnik Kavkaza at a conference called “The situation in the Middle East: ways to solve the crisis” held at the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies (RISS).
“What is happening in the Middle East is certainly a great calamity for the region and all humanity. How can the problem be solved? I think, first of all, we all need to unite our forces against radicalism and terrorism in the region, develop a common policy and a common approach to a settlement of the situation. Secondly, we see that military interference from countries outside the region has not helped solve a single problem, so dealing with the Middle East requires great caution. I think that it is better to help governments themselves, the powers in the region, to solve the situation,” Mehdi Sanaei emphasized.
At the conference, Sanaei stressed the importance of good-neighbourly and brotherly relations between Middle Eastern states. “Iran respects Saudi Arabia and wants the country to take part in the settlement of the situation in the region. As brotherly states, we must all solve our problems, we should strive for settlement of all problems ourselves,” he urged.
The Syrian Ambassador to Russia, Riad Haddad, noted that returning to the previous peaceful life in the Middle East would not be an easy task. “It is naïve to think that something in world politics happens by chance: the Arab Spring was in fact the Arab Fire. Decades will be needed to recover from the damage. At the same time, the most dangerous outcome of the current state of affairs is that the devastating forces are spreading their convictions. Altogether, it drags us many centuries back. What we see in Libya and other countries of the region is proof that the West wants to fragment the Middle East and take it under control. The war there is being waged by terrorism, not against terrorism; countries fighting the real terrorism, the way Syria and Russia do, need to fight against the policy of double standards,” Haddad stated.
Jalal Al-Mashta, the head of the LAS office, agreed that the Middle East was facing the threat of the destruction of countries in the region. “Terrorism does not only threaten security, it hinders the progress and development of the region. I think that we need to return to the source of the threat. Firstly, the remains of the colonial system are the most serious factor of destabilization of the whole world. Then, Islamic State says that it is striving for a return to the origins of Islam. But was that how Islam looked like? The educational basis of the modern Muslim world, starting with nurseries, needs to be formed in a new spirit, to bring up a new generation,” said Al-Mashta.
The diplomat called for development of a strategic approach to combating extremism and attempts to shatter the countries of the region. “We cannot approach the problem phlegmatically. Quick decisions should begin with an internal consensus in every country, because terrorists use the inner discords and weaknesses of countries. Searches for solutions should be made at regional and world levels. A regional-level cooperation organization is needed,” he concluded.
Countries of the Middle East should unite to cope with the uncontrolled terrorism, outside countries should adhere to the policy of non-military assistance to legitimate governments, the Iranian Ambassador to Russia, Mehdi Sanaei, said in an interview to Vestnik Kavkaza at a conference called “The situation in the Middle East: ways to solve the crisis” held at the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies (RISS).“What is happening in the Middle East is certainly a great calamity for the region and all humanity. How can the problem be solved? I think, first of all, we all need to unite our forces against radicalism and terrorism in the region, develop a common policy and a common approach to a settlement of the situation. Secondly, we see that military interference from countries outside the region has not helped solve a single problem, so dealing with the Middle East requires great caution. I think that it is better to help governments themselves, the powers in the region, to solve the situation,” Mehdi Sanaei emphasized.At the conference, Sanaei stressed the importance of good-neighbourly and brotherly relations between Middle Eastern states. “Iran respects Saudi Arabia and wants the country to take part in the settlement of the situation in the region. As brotherly states, we must all solve our problems, we should strive for settlement of all problems ourselves,” he urged.The Syrian Ambassador to Russia, Riad Haddad, noted that returning to the previous peaceful life in the Middle East would not be an easy task. “It is naïve to think that something in world politics happens by chance: the Arab Spring was in fact the Arab Fire. Decades will be needed to recover from the damage. At the same time, the most dangerous outcome of the current state of affairs is that the devastating forces are spreading their convictions. Altogether, it drags us many centuries back. What we see in Libya and other countries of the region is proof that the West wants to fragment the Middle East and take it under control. The war there is being waged by terrorism, not against terrorism; countries fighting the real terrorism, the way Syria and Russia do, need to fight against the policy of double standards,” Haddad stated.Jalal Al-Mashta, the head of the LAS office, agreed that the Middle East was facing the threat of the destruction of countries in the region. “Terrorism does not only threaten security, it hinders the progress and development of the region. I think that we need to return to the source of the threat. Firstly, the remains of the colonial system are the most serious factor of destabilization of the whole world. Then, Islamic State says that it is striving for a return to the origins of Islam. But was that how Islam looked like? The educational basis of the modern Muslim world, starting with nurseries, needs to be formed in a new spirit, to bring up a new generation,” said Al-Mashta.The diplomat called for development of a strategic approach to combating extremism and attempts to shatter the countries of the region. “We cannot approach the problem phlegmatically. Quick decisions should begin with an internal consensus in every country, because terrorists use the inner discords and weaknesses of countries. Searches for solutions should be made at regional and world levels. A regional-level cooperation organization is needed,” he conclud
