Zarif urges Muslim countries to unite against extremism

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has called on Muslim countries to join forces in the fight against extremism.

“Today, the main battle is between extremism and moderation, and all Muslim countries should unite against extremism on one front,” Zarif said in a meeting with his Tunisian counterpart Taïeb Baccouche in Tunis on Monday.

The Iranian foreign minister described extremism and terrorism as major threats to Muslim countries.

Zarif also called for an end to foreign meddling in the regional crises, saying that dialogue should be a basic strategy to solve the crises in the region and any contribution in this regard should be aimed at facilitating dialogue.

The Iranian foreign minister said that no condition should be set out for dialogue in Syria, Yemen and other regions beset by crisis.

Zarif also sat for talks with Tunisian Prime Minister Habib Essid and stressed that the prevention of extremism and violence should be the main theme of cooperation between Muslim countries.

The Iranian foreign minister further pointed to a recent nuclear agreement, dubbed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), between Iran and the P5+1 countries, saying, “The achievement is a victory for all countries in the world and region and the negotiations proved that the basis of resolving problems is dialogue and negotiation not pressure and sanctions.”

On July 14, Iran and the P5+1 countries – the United States, Britain, France, China, Russia and Germany – finalized the text of the the JCPOA in the Austrian capital Vienna.

Essid, for his part, congratulated Iran on the nuclear agreement, terming it a positive achievement in the international political developments.

The Tunisian premier also called for the expansion of relations with Iran in different fields, including tourism, industry, agriculture and environment.