Tehran, Iran, May 27
By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:
Iran has criticized the emirs of Qatar and Kuwait as well as the crown princes of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, and Saudi Arabia for traveling to the US in mid-May for a meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House and at Camp David, Maryland.
"Why do you go to Camp David while we stand by your side and are willing to have good relations with you," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif addressed Arab states.
"The US does not wish you good, but seeks its own interests," Zarif said on the sidelines of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation conference in Kuwait, IRNA news agency reported May 27.
Addressing Arab concerns about the ongoing talks between Iran and the US, he said that Iran is holding the talks merely to settle its own problems such as the economic sanctions. Iran is holding talks with the group 5+1 (the US, UK, France, Russia, China, and Germany) to settle a disputed nuclear program, seeking to remove international sanctions on its economy.
"We told them (the US) that we will not talks with them over our neighbors, but would rather hold talks with the neighbors directly," he asserted.
"Our talks on the nuclear case are not detrimental to regional countries, on the contrary they offer benefits too. In case a skirmish breaks out in the region it will affect all," the Iranian Foreign Minister stated.
He went on to say that Iran is seeking trust with neighbor countries, believing that sectarian clashes are a form of sedition.
Some Arab states have accused Tehran of trying to create Shia domination in the region. Iran, however, denies the charges and says it favors integrity among Muslim faiths.
Edited by CN
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