Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 22
By Emil Ilgar – Trend:
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has accused Saudi Arabia of “spreading hate ideology” and “encroaching on the rights of its neighbors” in a speech at the 71st Session of UN General Assembly in New York.
“The Saudi government must stop continuing with its divisive policies, disseminating the ideology of hatred and encroaching on the rights of its neighbors, and it must shoulder its responsibility with regards to the life and dignity of [Hajj] pilgrims and found its relations on the basis of mutual respect and accepting responsibility towards regional nations if it seeks a new prospect for its development and the security of the region,” Rouhani said in his speech aired live by Iran’s Press TV.
He added that “certain countries” in the region should stop bombing their neighbors and stop supporting terrorist groups.
Rouhani didn’t mention any name, but during last years, an Arab coalition, headed by Saudi Arabia, has been fighting the Houthis, a Shia movement, in Yemen.
Touching upon conflicts in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Palestine, Rouhani warned against the unprecedented rise of violence in the Middle East and North Africa.
He said security is a global issue and underlined that during the past years the world powers have been advancing different methods of “repression and military intervention” under the pretext of removing security concerns for their people.