TEHRAN – Mohammad Javad Zarif, who has been re-nominated for the post foreign minister in President Rouhani’s new cabinet, on Wednesday expressed his determination to activate economic diplomacy in order to boost national economy.

Zarif was in parliament to throw light on the Foreign Ministry’s achievements during his first four-year term and also elaborate on his plans for a second term provided that he gets the go-ahead by the parliament.

He highlighted the need to harmonize the country’s politics and economy within the Foreign Ministry in the pursuit of national interests.

Zarif further said he supports entry into regional and global markets, noting that attracting foreign investment and tourists and transferring technology into the country will be among the top priorities of the Foreign Ministry.

In order to succeed the government needs to provide the necessary conditions for the effective presence of its economy – especially the private sector – in global value chains, deepen economic relations with neighboring countries and emerging powers, facilitate agreements with European countries to expand cooperation in big economic projects, and focus on the potentials of new markets, he explained.

Zarif, 57, has held various significant diplomatic posts since the 1990s. He was the permanent representative of Iran to the United Nations from 2002 to 2007.

He gained a B.A. in 1981 and M.A. in 1982 from San Francisco State University, both in international relations. Following this, he continued his studies at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver, from which he obtained a second M.A. in international relations in 1984 and a Ph.D. in international law and policy in 1988.

During his tenure as foreign minister, he led the nuclear talks with six world powers which produced the historic nuclear agreement – officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) - on 14 July 2015.

Defending his performance before the parliament, Zarif said the nuclear deal was not the result of Tehran’s trust in Washington, but rather every single part of it showed Tehran’s “serious distrust” of Washington.

He also expressed gratitude to the parliament for supporting the nuclear talks and the final agreement.

The chief diplomat further praised the legislative body’s approval of a motion to counter the United States’ terrorist and adventurous acts in the region. The bill was passed in response to the recent non-nuclear sanctions that the U.S. Congress imposed against the Islamic Republic.

On Tuesday, President Rouhani went to the parliament to explain his priorities in his second term and to defend his cabinet picks.

Under Iranian law, the president have to present his full list of cabinet nominees to the parliament, which will consider their merits one by one before their appointments are made official.

“The government is resolute to bring about more structural reforms in its second four-year term,” Rouhani said in his two-hour long speech.

The Iranian president also said that his administration would seek peace in the region through cooperation in political, economic, cultural, and security areas.

MH/PA