Tehran, IRNA – The Director General for International Legal Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ali Mousavi, stated that Western countries should refrain from meddling in the internal affairs of other countries under the pretext of combating terrorism.

Mousavi made the remarks on the sidelines of the Asian–African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO) conference titled “Preventing and Countering Terrorism: Asian and African Attitudes” underway in the Iranian capital city of Tehran on Wednesday.

He described AALCO as an international entity dedicated to addressing the legal matters of developing nations in Asia and Africa.

Additionally, he noted that AALCO offers a platform for member states, such as Iran, to discuss and assess the perspectives and stances of various countries; thereby countering positions that arise from the specific interests of certain nations through dialogue.

The Islamic Republic of Iran maintains that the AALCO conference has the potential to align and unify the perspectives of developing nations across Asia and Africa, Mousavi stated.

He also emphasized that Iran's participation in AALCO can significantly contribute to the organization's efforts to develop and advocate narratives that reflect the interests of developing countries and the members of the Non-Aligned Movement.

In discussing the cooperation of Western countries in combatting terrorism, he expressed concern that Western countries often apply double standards not only in preventing and fighting terrorism, but also in other areas that weaken or even destroy trust among member countries of the United Nations.

Mousavi emphasized the importance of building trust and understanding through dialogue among countries in Asia and Africa, suggesting that the results of these dialogues should be shared with Western countries to establish a common basis for preventing and confronting terrorism.

AALCO is a platform for exchanging diverse ideas and aligning opinions, to help member countries reach common positions that serve the interests of developing nations, he concluded.

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