TEHRAN – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday that the Iranian and Malaysian governments are determined to establish closer relationship and expand cooperation.

“Expansion of economic, cultural, scientific and parliamentary relations benefits the Iranian and Malaysian nations and the region,” Rouhani said during a meeting with Malaysian Parliament speaker Pandikar Amin bin Haji Mulia.

Rouhani who made a two-day visit to Kuala Lumpur, starting on Friday, said that Iran is ready to expand parliamentary ties with Malaysia.

Rouhani also pointed to the crises in the world of Islam, saying that Iran and Malaysia can help solve the Muslims’ problems through more cooperation.

“There is no way but increasing tolerance to strengthen stability and security in the countries, and Islam is based on boosting the commonalities and avoiding division,” he explained.

For his part, Pandikar said that the Malaysian parliament supports expansion of ties with Iran in various areas.

There is no impediment to expand relations between the two countries, he added.

Rouhani elaborates on Iran’s regional policies

During a meeting with a group of Malaysian intellectuals, thinkers and analysts on Saturday, Rouhani also elaborated on Iran’s principled policies in the Middle East.

Fighting Takfiri terrorism, helping to establish peace, ceasefire and sending humanitarian aid to the people, preventing disintegration of the countries and relying on the public vote were among the principled policies of Iran elaborated by Rouhani.

“Ceasefire should be announced in Yemen and Syria, and the people in the countries should be provided with humanitarian help immediately. The geographical borders in the region should not be changed. Disintegration of the countries is dangerous and can multiply problems and fuel regional wars. 

“The countries’ national sovereignty should be respected. Nothing should be decided for the regional people from the outside and all should respect the one who is elected the people’s vote,” Rouhani noted.

He also said that the discourse of “violence and destruction” and the “discourse of disappointment” should be replaced with the discourse of “unity and integration in the world of Islam”.

The Iranian president expressed satisfaction over the fact that Iran and Malaysia’s discourse is based on “moderation”.

Elsewhere, Rouhani said that it is essential to recognize roots of extremism and terrorism.

‘More unity needed among Muslims’

In a meeting on Saturday with Iranians living in Malaysia, Rouhani also said more unity is needed among Muslims.

He also said that Iran does not seek to impose the Islamic Revolution on other Muslim states.

The president also said in order to put an end to Iranophobia and illusions about Tehran’s nuclear program the Islamic Republic launched an intensive dialogue with great powers which proved that Iran’s nuclear work was purely civilian. 

Some people around the world had been indoctrinated with the illusion that Iran was building a nuclear bomb which was not and will not be a part of the country’s defense doctrine, he added.

Iran and the 5+1 group - the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia plus Germany - finalized the text of the nuclear deal - officially called Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) - in July 2015. The nuclear deal took effect in January 2016.

NA/PA