TEHRAN- President Ebrahim Raisi who has visited New York to attend the annual UN meeting held talks with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday.

At the meeting, Raisi said Iran is willing to work with the UN in its initiatives to advance world peace and stop the tyranny of states.

Raisi stated that the Islamic Republic’s guiding principle is collaboration with the UN.

The Iranian president went on to say that the UN as the largest international body has the duty to pay heed to the requests of countries to administer justice, create sustainable security, counter prejudice and abolish poverty.

People want the UN to stop the bullying powers from making unreasonable demands or engaging in wars, he said, warning that such risky practices undermine world peace and stability.

Raisi went on to express worries about the political and social destiny of Afghanistan, Yemen, and Syria, stating that it is a crucial task for the UN to stop injustice against the populations of these nations.

Raisi also urged the UN chief to follow news about Iran through unbiased media.

He also said pointed to gender equality in Iran, saying the Islamic Republic pays special attention to women’s rights. The president cited the participation of Iranian women in scientific, athletic, social, and cultural spheres as examples.

UN chief lauds Iran’s positive role in Yemen developmentsGuterres, for his part, expressed hope for more cooperation between the UN and Iran.

Guterres also praised Iran’s positive role in the developments in Yemen and highlighted the UN’s support for Tehran’s attempts to put an end to the catastrophe engulfing the impoverished Arab country.

He also praised recent détente in Iran-Saudi Arabia ties, saying the two nations can help stabilize the region.

“Western era of supremacy is over”

In a meeting with his Croatian counterpart Zoran Milanovic on Monday, Raisi asserted that the Western era of dominance over sovereign states is over, highlighting Tehran’s success in neutralizing Western-imposed sanctions.

“Despite efforts made by some Western countries to impose their interests and values on other countries in the world, Iran has managed to turn sanctions and pressures into opportunities and has made significant progress in different fields, particularly technology,” he said.

Raisi added, “Why do the U.S. and certain European countries that own nuclear arsenals are preventing other countries from using nuclear energy” for civilian purposes.

For his part, Milanovic maintained that despite being a member of the NATO military alliance and the European Union, Croatia has always attempted to pursue autonomous policies.

Raisi meets Kazakh, Algerian, Kyrgyz leaders

Also on Monday, Raisi met with Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the President of Kazakhstan. At the meeting, they called for full implementation of bilateral accords, particularly commercial and economic ones.

He noted that trade exchanges through sea or railway will “serve the interests of the two nations as well as the regional countries,” adding that “effective steps must be taken” to accelerate the attainment of the goal.

For his part, Tokayev, who visited Tehran in June at the invitation of Raisi, stressed that Iran is a strategic partner and close friend.

Raisi also met with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, whom he praised for his support of the oppressed Palestinian people and for his uncompromising stance against Israel which deprived the occupation regime from gaining an observer status in the African Union.

Raisi asserted that Iran has no issues improving ties with neighbors but the Western world, particularly the U.S., is to blame for the deterioration of relations between regional nations.

Tebboune briefly discussed the history of cordial ties between the two nations and underlined the importance of taking genuine steps to rekindle and strengthen those ties.

In yet another meeting with his Kyrgyz counterpart Sadyr Japarov on Monday, Raisi declared that Tehran is willing to share technical and scientific knowledge with Kyrgyzstan, which he praised as a friendly nation.

Raisi also stated that Iran’s policy is centered on cementing ties with friendly and kind nations, including Kyrgyzstan.

“Unfortunately, despite the wishes of the governments of Iran and Kyrgyzstan, the economic and commercial relations between the two countries have not yet expanded in commensurate to the existing capacities,” Raisi added.

Japarov, for his part, congratulated Iran on gaining full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and said the move would be advantageous to the two countries as well as the region.

Kyrgyzstan and Iran have the capacity to expand ties, he noted, lamenting the lack of trade contacts between Tehran and Bishkek.

Threats and sanctions against Iran have failed

In a meeting with a group of American foreign policy intellectuals on Monday, Raisi also said that the U.S. should realize that the use of force in dealing with Iran, whether in the form of threats or sanctions, has failed, encouraging the U.S. to modify its bullying conduct and develop trust.

In response to a question about Trump’s role in the assassination of Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, Iran’s president praised the late general as the regional commander in the fight against terrorism, saying, “Martyr Soleimani was the commander of the fight against terrorism and Daesh, and if he hadn’t stopped Daesh, terrorism would have now engulfed Europe.”

Raisi responded to a question concerning the conflict in Ukraine by saying, “We are opposed to the conflict and we are prepared to mediate to bring an end to it, but the American people’s taxes fill the pockets of arms factories from the sale of weapons.”

Raisi refuted the claims that Iran had given Russia weapons.

He also said, “Our advice to the American government is to stop fighting and sanctioning nations. Historical findings show that over the last 250 years, America has not been at war for only 20 years.”