TEHRAN — A senior military advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution said on Monday that a new era has begun in the life of Iran’s foreign policy.

“The policy of cooperation with the East and comprehensive development with China and Russia has astonished and inactivated Western enemies and regional rivals,” Major General Rahim Safavi told the National Conference on Iran and Neighbors. 

As Iran is preparing to celebrate the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran has become an undeniable regional power, the general remarked.

He added, “The theoretical concept and policy of Iran's neighborhood policy is that how we want to draw up and plan our strategy of politics, economy, security, tourism, academia and environment with each of the 15 neighboring countries in the next 20 years.”

Safavi said Iran’s goal is to achieve common understanding and interests, achieve sustainable development, and to counter threats.

The military advisor to the Leader stressed that the neighborhood policy has become an undeniable regional necessity and this political concept is repeated by many international relations analysts and politicians around the world.

Former IRGC chief Safavi proposes drafting documents for security cooperation or non-aggression pacts with any of Iran’s neighbors.

“The theoretical and practical concept of neighborhood policy is that Iran wants to develop comprehensive relations in political, economic, cultural, security, tourism and environmental fields.”

Regarding the basic goals of Iran's neighborhood policy, the general said achieving mutual understanding and interests, lasting peace and security, and the progress and prosperity of nations against all kinds of threats are among the basic goals of Iran's neighborhood policy.

In this regard the strategic document of attracting and exchanging millions of tourists from the population of 600 million in the neighboring countries to Iran and vice versa can be mentioned, he pointed out.

Safavi said that Iran's non-oil exports to several hundred billion dollars market of these countries are other examples.

The senior military advisor to the Leader noted drafting a document for defense security cooperation or a 20-year non-aggression agreement with any of these neighbors can be the beginning of achieving lasting collective security for all.

Development of banking relations and reduction of customs tariffs between neighbors is another neighborhood policy of Iran, he suggested.

Safavi continued, “Iran has the most neighbors after China and Russia, and our country's special geographical position in the world is unique.”

He added that Iran is connected with 11 regional geopolitical systems. Accordingly, he said, Iran can, while developing relations with China, Russia and India, link the Shanghai Cooperation Organization with Eurasian Economic Union and ECO in the next 20 years.

Stating that the territory of Iranian civilization was shared with China, added, the former IRGC chief said, “Today we are witnessing the slow movement of power from the West to the East. China, Russia, India and Asia are the future powers. In this regard, it should also be said that China and Russia are interest-oriented and we are ideology-oriented.”
He reiterated that the West seeks to “subdue us, and that is the goal it pursued during the Sacred Defense.”

Safavi reminded that now there is an economic, media and cultural war, and the foes are pursuing the same goal as before, namely the surrender of Iran and the return of the country to the West and taking away Iran’s political independence.

He concluded, “As we have so far resisted with the strategy of 'resistance', we can also raise our geopolitical weight in this period by adopting new neighborhood policies and the policy of looking to the East, and achieve victory against the hegemonic powers.”