Iran ready to help reduce Myanmar tensions: Salehi

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi has expressed concern about the situation of the Muslims in Myanmar, announcing Tehran’s readiness to help reduce the ethnic tensions in the country.

In a meeting with Myanmarese Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin, Salehi said Iran was ready to send humanitarian aid to Myanmar and employ Tehran’s influence to reduce tensions and ethnic conflicts in the South Asian country.

“The public opinion in the Muslim world was deeply saddened by the recent conflicts and the suffering of Myanmarese Muslims,” Salehi said on Sunday.

The Buddhist-majority government of Myanmar refuses to recognize the Rohingyas and classifies them as illegal migrants, although the Rohingyas are said to be Muslim descendants of Persian, Turkish, Bengali, and Pathan origin, who migrated to Myanmar as early as the eighth century.

Maung Lwin, for his part, said his country is committed to respecting the rights of all ethnicities and tribes and does not discriminate against Muslims.

The two foreign ministers also discussed bilateral issues and cooperation between Iran and Myanmar.

Myanmar’s foreign minister arrived in Tehran on Sunday to take part in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit.

More than 100 countries are partaking in the NAM summit that kicked off in Tehran on Sunday and is scheduled to end on August 31.