‘Extremism, factionalism threaten Mideast security’

A senior Iranian official says extremism and factionalism pose a threat to the Middle East security, urging “direct and constant interaction” among regional countries to counter such threats.

The remark was made by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in a Wednesday meeting with Kuwait’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Khalid Al-Hamad on the sidelines of the Second International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria being held in the Persian Gulf kingdom.

During the meeting, the Kuwaiti official lauded the Islamic Republic’s recent nuclear agreement with six world powers and emphasized the implementation of the Geneva nuclear deal would have a “very positive” impact on the future of the region and neighboring countries.

The Kuwaiti foreign minister further described his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif’s December 2013 tour of the Persian Gulf region as “significant and a new beginning in Tehran’s growing relations with its neighbors.”

In the meeting, the Iranian diplomat also described as “successful” the second Iran-Kuwait high commission held last month, and expressed hope it would serve as a springboard for better trade ties between the two Persian Gulf states.

Amir-Abdollahian also sat down with Secretary General of the Arab League Nabil Elaraby, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari and Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, among other officials, attending the international event.

In his meetings, the Iranian official reiterated Tehran’s position that the Syria crisis must be resolved politically and through stamping out terrorism and extremism in the country.