In an interview with Global Times on April 15, Mohammad Keshavarzzadeh noted that the Western colonial powers, who dominate global media, publish false information through social networks and mass media “in order to prevent friendly cooperation between Iran and China.”
Keshavarzzadeh noted, “When economic cooperation brings prosperity, well-being, and improves the livelihood of the local people, this poisonous and unrealistic propaganda of the West loses its effectiveness.”
He also referred to the fact that the Islamic Republic is not the only country in the world, which is suffering from US sanctions, adding that independent states such as China and Iran “are determined to preserve their sovereignty and follow their own destinies to cooperate in order to improve people's lives.”
Asked about Western powers’ criticism on the situation of human rights in China and other countries, the US has been busy initiating wars in about 80 countries, taking more than 800,000 lives and displacing tens of millions of people in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria among other countries.
The envoy further pointed to China’s model of governance as a successful one in alleviating poverty, achieving economic growth and maintaining sustainable development that has “challenged the stereotype of Western democracy, which the West sought to prescribe liberal democracy as the only system of successful governance and forcefully imposed it on other countries.”
“The Islamic Republic of Iran also has its own model of governance, and in spite of different kinds of conspiracy, terrorist acts, war, sanctions, and maximum pressure, can still play as an independent regional power, and has brought development and prosperity for the Iranian people during the last 40 years,” he argued.
Keshavarzzadeh underlined that Iran's decision-making system is based on its own national interest and cannot be affected by pressures from the West. China now is a major world player and our officials have a consensus to enhance strategic comprehensive partnership with China. Iran has an outstanding geographical position in West Asia which can connect China to Europe.
According to the ambassador, “The comprehensive 25-year cooperation plan between Iran and China was prepared in the implementation of the joint statement of Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani during Xi's official 2016 visit to Tehran. As its title shows, it has two characteristics: First, it includes all different aspects of cooperation between the two countries. And the second point is the period of cooperation that is a road map for a quarter of a century. Iran and China are two ancient Asian civilizations that have been connected for thousands of years.”
The goal of the plan is to deepen and strengthen these bilateral ties and it is not against any third country, he stated.
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