The 2nd Tehran Security Conference 2018 started in Iran capital city on Monday with a speech delivered by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
Problems facing West Asia such as terrorism, extremism, general security, environmental risks, regional security, big powers interventionism, governance, cyber revolution, economic development, emerging identities, weapons trends and West Asia in post-Western unilateralism era are being discussed in the one-day event, which is held under the banner of “Regional Security in West Asia; Emerging Challenges and Trends.”
The event reportedly brought together More than 200 Iranian and international political figures and analysts.
Iranian media reports says that in his address to the conference, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif blamed the Saudi-led military invasion of Yemen as "one of the key factors creating tension in the region," adding that after engaging in 33 months of futile warfare, the invaders should have come to the realization that there exists no political solution to the Yemen crisis and that negotiation and consensus alone can contribute to the ultimate resolution of the crisis.
The Iranian top diplomat also denounced the US interventionist strategies as one of the most substantive challenges, further complicating the existing circumstances in the region.
Zarif also noted that the continued occupation of Palestine was the most critical issue facing the region.
According to Iranian Press TV, he warned against any attempts at dominance by regional countries and the destabilizing impact of an escalating arms race.
Zarif reportedly noted that compared to the rest of the world, Iran's neighbors in the Persian Gulf have the highest proportion of military budget to their gross domestic product.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian foreign minister highlighted the fact that — despite its losses in Iraq and Syria — the Daesh Takfiri terror outfit is still active in parts of the world, and called for efforts to defeat extremist ideologies and cut their finances.
He referred to post-Daesh reconstruction of Iraq and Syria as one of the key responsibilities of the international community, adding that such reconstructive efforts would help bring about political stability and quell extremism.
The senior diplomat also recalled Iran’s proposal on the formation of a Persian Gulf dialog center, adding that in the current day and age, there is a need for negotiation and trust-building measures more than ever before.
The 1st Tehran Security Conference was held in 2017 with the theme of dialogue as well as mutual confidence and cooperation among West Asian countries in order to achieve collective security and progress.
