Iranian VP: Extremism to backfire, go beyond Middle East

Vice-President and Head of the Department of Environment (DOE) Massoumeh Ebtekar in a meeting with Norwegian Foreign Minister Borge Brende in Oslo on Thursday underlined that extremism will backfire and it will not be limited to the Middle East.

“Extremism will not be limited to the Middle East and not containing it will create serious problems for the international community and accordingly mutual cooperation to confront it is needed,’ Ebtekar said.

The Iranian vice-president pointed to the importance of cultural and scientific exchanges between the two countries, and called for removal of the problems created in the way of education of some Iranian university students.

She pointed to the important status of environment, and proposed adding the environment to list of the two countries’ cooperation, and called for removal of the problems created in the way of education of some Iranian university students in Norway.

The Norwegian foreign minister, for his part, pointed to his visit to Iran last year and voiced his pleasure in the development of bilateral relations, and expressed the hope that striking a comprehensive nuclear deal between Iran and the six world powers further opportunities will be created for mutual cooperation of Norway and Iran in different areas, including environment.

Brende also elaborated on his country’s stances vis-à-vis developments of the Middle East, and underlined the need for respecting territorial integrities of all countries.