The webinar hosted by Islamabad Policy Institute (IPI) was attended by Dr. Kayhan Barzegar, the director at the Centre for Middle East Strategic Studies, Tehran, and IPI Executive Director Prof. Sajjad Bokhari.
Dr. Barzegar in his views said Iran’s new president Ebrahim Raisi would pursue a moderate foreign policy.
He believed that Iran’s foreign policy under President Raisi would be dictated by geo-political developments and efforts to obtain access to technology and improve the economy.
He maintained that the technology and economic elements were crucial for maintaining Iran’s geopolitical strength.
“At the end of the day, Iran's foreign policy will be about active interaction (with external stakeholders) based on a kind of progressive conservatism,” the scholar said dismissing suggestions that the new administration would pursue a hard-line approach.
He said that President Raisi would domestically develop a political consensus to proceed on this course.
Dr. Barzegar opined that talks for the revival of the nuclear deal – the JCPOA – would dominate the new government’s foreign policy agenda.
The scholar cautioned the Western countries against burdening the JCPOA negotiations with other regional issues and matters linked to missile development.
“I think that's wrong and I think that will kill the entire negotiation from the beginning,” he maintained.
He hoped that in the event of the restoration of the JCPOA, Tehran would become more accommodative and constructive in its external dealings.
He said that the Raisi administration would prioritize its ties with countries in its neighborhood, especially Pakistan, China, Russia, Turkey, Iraq, and the Persian Gulf countries, and strengthen economic relations with them.
About Tehran’s engagement with the Afghan Taliban, Barzegar said that the Iranian government was trying to protect its interests by talking to the group. However, he noted that the equation could change if Iranian interests start getting threatened.
He said that Tehran recognizes Pakistan’s interests in Afghanistan and hopes that developments there would not affect Pak-Iran bilateral ties.
IPI Executive Director Professor Bokhari, in his remarks, underscored the need for peace in the Middle East, saying the region has been a breeding ground for conflicts for decades.
Ebrahim Raisi was sworn in as new President of the Islamic Republic of Iran at an inauguration ceremony on Thursday, 5th August.
Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan Mohammad Sadiq Sanjrani, leading a parliamentary delegation, attended the inauguration of the eighth President of Iran on behalf of the Prime Minister.
Raisi during a meeting with Sanjrani said we must identify the capacities to increase relations and cooperation between the two countries and activate them in the interests of both countries and the region.
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