TEHRAN – On Saturday, the German and Iranian foreign ministers held a joint press conference in Tehran prior to attending the preliminary meeting of the Munich Security Conference in which Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that all countries are obligated to resolve the bloody conflict in Syria.

Steinmeier who spoke in German said military action in required to combat violence in Syria, although that is not the only solution.

“We must use the good experience in Vienna to resolve the issue in Syria,” he said in an indirect reference to the nuclear deal between Iran and great powers which is officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The chief diplomat noted that signatories to the nuclear agreement have fulfilled their commitments and this indicates that the accord has been “successful”.

He also called on the all the signatories to the JCPOA to cooperate in implementing the agreement and abide by their commitments.

Iran and the 5+1 group - the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia plus Germany - finalized the text of the JCPOA in Vienna on July 14.

He added that the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia and Germany are making efforts to expand ties with Iran.

Zarif says we are not after eliminating Saudi Arabia

Zarif also told reporters that Iran is not seeking to “eliminate” Saudi Arabia from the region and won’t allow the government of Saudi Arabia to get rid of Iran in the Middle East either, urging the Riyadh government to “acknowledge the realities in the region”.

He then added that Iran seeks good neighborliness with all neighboring countries.

On the issue of security in the region, Iran’s foreign minister said a secure region is crucial to all countries.

“Either all countries will enjoy security, or none will have it” even when one country is in turmoil, he noted.

On the issue of Iran’s missile test, Zarif remarked that the test has nothing to do with the JCPOA.

None of Iran’s missiles are built for nuclear purposes, he said, adding that the missile are manufactured to defend the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

He said the nuclear deal proved that “nuclear weapon has no place in Iran’s defense doctrine” and “missiles are not built to carry nuclear warheads”, Zarif explained.

On October 11, Iran tested its newest ballistic missile Emad.

Ties with Germany

On Iran-Germany ties, Zarif said that there are good relations between the two countries based on common interests. He added that private sectors of Iran and Germany can help expansion of economic ties.

Steinmeier also referred to Iran’s request for help in protection of environment, water resource management, and technological cooperation, then jokingly pointed to the rainy weather in Tehran and said the issue of water scarcity is now resolved with Germans brining rain with them today (Saturday).

He also said that Iran and Germany will sign cultural agreements in future months.

Serious role

The Iranian foreign minister also said that Germany can play a “serious role” in establishing security and stability in the Persian Gulf region.

On the regional crises, he described political solution as the way to settle the crises.

Zarif reiterated Tehran’s position that all the countries should cooperate in the campaign against terrorism in the region.