Parliament Speaker: Sponsors of Terrorism Cannot Combat Terrorists

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani lashed out at the western countries and their regional allies for supporting terrorists in the Middle East, and said that the anti-ISIL coalition is doomed to failure because the coalition members are the creators and supporters of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and other terrorist groups in the region.

“Combating terrorism by those countries that have played a role in its growth is impossible,” Larijani said, addressing a ceremony to inaugurate the new building of the Djiboutian parliament in the Djiboutian city on Saturday.

The Iranian parliament speaker pointed to Iran-Djibouti ties, and said “Iran and Djibouti have done their best to expand their mutual cooperation” and they will follow the same path in future.

He reiterated that implementation of several bilateral agreements indicates the extent of mutual cooperation between Iran and Djibouti in different areas.

Larijani referred to the special status of Africa in Iran’s foreign diplomacy, and said, “For the same reason, Iran has done its best to broaden its relations with the African nations and governments and we see expansion and consolidation of relations with the African countries as a priority.”

He pointed to the two countries’ cooperation in fighting international piracy, and said, “The valuable cooperation between Iran and Djibouti in combating piracy will greatly influence (improvement of) security and trade in the region.”

In relevant remarks earlier this month, Larijani questioned the seriousness and honesty of the so-called international coalition against the ISIL, reminding that the coalition members are the creators and supporters of the ISIL and other terrorist groups in the region.

“The terrorist and inhumane activities of the group know no borders and mere airstrikes (by the US-led coalition) cannot purge the region from the ISIL forces,” Larijani said in a meeting with Iraqi Vice-President Nuri al-Maliki in Tehran.

Larijani arrived in Djibouti city, the capital city of Djibouti in the Horn of Africa, on Friday to participate in a ceremony to inaugurate the new building of the Djibouti Parliament. He is in Djibouti at the official invitation of his Djiboutian counterpart.

Djibouti is bordered by Eritrea in the North, Ethiopia in the West and South, and Somalia in the Southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the East. Djibouti occupies a total area of 23,200 square km.

Bahraini is Iranian Ambassador to Ethiopia and the country’s accredited ambassador to Djibouti.