TEHRAN – Iran’s ambassador to Madrid has underscored that the Islamic Republic has taken up the policy of “active neutrality” in dealing with the Russia-Ukraine conflict, IRNA reported on Tuesday.

Hassan Ghashghavi made the remarks in a meeting with commanders and officers of Spain’s Centre for National Defense Studies (CESEDEN).

As to Iran’s foreign policy, the ambassador elaborated on issues such as the Iranian nuclear program, Iran’s influence in West Asia, relationship with Saudi Arabia, developments in Syria and Yemen as well as the war in Ukraine in the eyes of the Islamic Republic.

“The Islamic Republic Iran seeks active neutrality in the face of the Ukraine war and urges all sides to resolve disputes through diplomacy,” noted Ghashghavi, who was invited to the meeting by CESEDEN chief Lieutenant General Francisco de Paula Bisbal Pons.

The veteran diplomat added Tehran has been calling for an immediate cessation of the Ukraine war since it started in Feb. 24, 20022.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the ambassador pointed to Tehran’s nuclear enrichment program, saying Iran is seeking to turn to clean sources of energy for its rising electricity needs.

He went on to say that the Western side neglected its commitments to build nuclear power plants in Iran and provide legal assurances to supply fuel for its nuclear plants and research reactors and that is why Iran decided to enrich uranium itself.

After the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979 Germany left the Bushehr nuclear power plant half-finished. France also refused to build a nuclear plant in Darkhowein, Khuzestan province.