My Caspian Message | During his recent visit to Russia on December 16, Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi addressed the professors and students of the university at the Migimo University.
The text of the Foreign Minister’s speech at the university is as follows:
I greet all the esteemed students and also Mr. Turkhanov, the esteemed president of this university. I am very happy that today I have found the opportunity to be in an academic environment and to have a conversation with the dear students.
I told the esteemed president of the university, with whom we had a conversation before this meeting, that it has always been interesting to me how beautifully the diplomats of the Russian Embassy in Tehran speak Persian and that they are all fluent in Persian. I have always wanted to see up close the place where they received this training, and today I am happy that this opportunity was provided to me.We had a very good conversation with Mr. Turkhanov and agreed to cooperate in the academic field. The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a faculty called the Faculty of International Relations, where we train students in the field of international relations, and they will later have the opportunity to enter the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
This faculty has many collaborations with similar universities and faculties abroad, and today we agreed to organize both joint master’s courses and short-term training courses for each other’s students. I am glad that this opportunity is now available and you will be able to come to Iran for short-term or long-term courses, especially Persian-speaking students, and get to know the Iranian people and society closely and strengthen your Persian language.Iran-Russia relations are very deep and comprehensive, encompassing political, economic, scientific, cultural, and even defense and security areas. The ties between the two countries are now very broad, and we share many common views on international issues. Our positions are also the same against the hegemonic policies of the United States.
Unfortunately, the international system is moving towards disorder. After the formation of the United Nations, countries tried to create an order based on international law and rules, but what we are witnessing today, especially in the new policies of the US government, is the abandonment of rules and the replacement of force and power.
The US President’s foreign policy theory is based on “peace through force,” while humanity has been trying for years to achieve peace through diplomacy and law.Peace through force means that whoever has more power imposes its will on others; this is the “law of the jungle.”
Today, we see that the United States gives itself the right to intervene anywhere in the world, to attack, to assassinate, and to impose sanctions. It also gives its ally in the West Asian region complete freedom to take any action against all international laws. In recent years, Israel has attacked several countries in the region, and tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, and genocide is underway, but unfortunately, the United States and some European countries have remained silent.
The attack on Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities, which are under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency, is one of the biggest violations of international law. These are examples of lawlessness in the international system that is leading the world towards greater insecurity.In the past, at least an attempt was made to create a legal appearance for these actions, but today even that appearance has been abandoned and the use of force is openly discussed. We saw this reality clearly in the recent war against Iran. While we were negotiating, we were attacked and then asked to negotiate based on surrender. Even the US President explicitly called for “unconditional surrender.”
We decided to resist and used our capabilities, including defense and missile capabilities. Our armed forces responded decisively. Although it is said that the skies of Iran were in the hands of the enemy, it is not said that the skies of the occupied territories were also in the hands of Iranian missiles.
Finally, as a result of the resistance of the Iranian nation, the other side went from demanding surrender to an unconditional ceasefire.This experience shows that in the current international system, countries have no choice but to be strong. This is one of the main axes of Iran-Russia cooperation; mutual support against hegemony and bullying.
We appreciate Russia, China and many other countries that supported Iran during this war and condemned the aggression. This support is a historical point in Iran-Russia relations that will never be forgotten.
Our relations with Russia, China and many other countries are developing. We have close political consultations with Russia, regular meetings at various levels, and major economic projects. One of the most important of them is the North-South Corridor, which will play an important role in connecting Russia to the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean, making the transportation of goods faster and cheaper.Russia has built Iran’s first nuclear power plant in Bushehr, and it has become a symbol of the relationship between the two countries. We are also negotiating its next phases
