FM: Iran’s HOPE Initiative Key to Prevent War, Terrorism in Region

Zarif made the remarks, addressing a meeting of United Nations Security Council on ‘UN Cooperation with Regional Organizations’ in New York on Wednesday.

He urged the countries in the region to join HOPE initiative which is designed to include all countries of the region and aims to expand cooperation beyond regional security.

“The Initiative is based on the fact that all regional states are duty-bound to ensure peace, stability and prosperity in the region. They along with the global community have common interests in maintaining freedom of navigation and transfer of energy,” Zarif said.

The Iranian diplomat stressed that regional cooperation is the key for preventing war, violence, extremism, terrorism and sectarian tensions.

Commenting on objectives of Hormuz peace initiative, he said that promoting solidarity, mutual understanding and peaceful and friendly relations and cooperation among regional states as well as boosting collaboration in uprooting terrorism, extremism and sectarian tensions and making sure about energy security, freedom of shipping and free flow of oil are among the objectives of the initiative.

Zarif went on to say that regional cooperation is necessary for fighting terrorism, specially in the areas such as the Middle East and Afghanistan where terrorist groups are more active than any other places.

Addressing the UNGA on Wednesday, President Rouhani unveiled Iran’s new initiative for the establishment of peace and security in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, and said, ” The goal of the Coalition for Hope is to promote peace, stability, progress and welfare for all the residents of the Strait of Hormuz region, and to enhance mutual understanding and peaceful and friendly relations amongst them.”

“This initiative includes various venues for cooperation, such as the collective supply of energy security, freedom of navigation and free transfer of oil and other resources to and from the Strait of Hormuz and beyond,” he added.

“The Coalition for Hope is based on important principles such as compliance with the goals and principles of the United Nations, mutual respect, equal footing, dialog and understanding, respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, inviolability of international borders, the peaceful settlement of all disputes, and more importantly, the two fundamental principles of non-aggression and non-interference in the domestic affairs of each other. The presence of the United Nations is necessary for the creation of an international umbrella in support of the Coalition for Hope,” President Rouhani underlined.