This was the second important international
meeting held in Iran in less than one week, when the United Nations had
dispatched its number two official Jan Eliasson to Tehran a week
earlier to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the UN.
As much as the nuclear deal has been effective in helping Iran realize its policy to engage with the world, the world powers have also seen a light in their efforts to deal with regional disturbances, especially those in Syria, Yemen, and Iraq.
Iran is
proving to become a reliable footage for Western powers to help secure
the region. However, Iran is insistent that it will follow its own
policies regarding regional issues and will not tolerate interpretations
originated from the West. Tehran is especially in disagreement over
developments in the said countries with the United States. However, it
only remains to be shown in time how the sides are going to settle the
matters among themselves.
The Munich Security Conference (MSC) on Saturday convened a core group meeting in the Iranian capital Tehran to discuss regional developments.
The meeting was co-hosted by the MSC and the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s Institute for Political and International Studies.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier along with a number of foreign ministers and high-ranking officials from various countries attended the gathering to exchange views on the latest developments in the Middle East region.
According to the MSC website, the participants focused on the crisis in Syria, which began in 2011, as well as Tehran's global and regional role following the landmark nuclear agreement (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA) clinched between the Islamic Republic and six world powers called the group 5+1 (the US, UK, France, Russia, China, and Germany).
"Can Iran play a constructive role in Syria? Iran has to play a constructive role. Without Iran playing a constructive role, there will be no political solution," German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said at the Munich Security Conference Core Group Meeting in Tehran. "We have to start the political process in Syria now", he emphasized, "even though we are not able to show the full picture."
His Iranian counterpart Mohamad Javad Zarif stressed that preconditions for a political process in Syria were wrong: "We are talking of a political solution but some set preconditions that have only prolonged the war. Insisting on preconditions must stop."
With respect to Syria's future, Zarif argued that "Syria will need democracy, respect for minority rights, rule of law." Asked about Assad's future, he said: "We need to focus on institutions, procedures, and guarantees. And let the people of Syria focus on individuals."
Zarif said he was hopeful that the the Munich Security Conference would provide a suitable ground for tackling joint problems.
Speaking on the recent political stand-off between Tehran and Riyadh, the top Iranian diplomat said Tehran is not looking to eliminate Saudi Arabia.
He also required the Saudi government to clarify the fate of missing Iranians of the recent Hajj stampede.
"In the Middle East it is either security for everyone or no one," Iranian FM said. "We believe that either in Yemen, Syria, Bahrain, or any other country only political approaches can work and the people's vote should be put to practice."
Steinmeier for his part dismissed the news as being fake, that some German officials had not accepted the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
He also noted that the JCPOA is expected to build trust between Iran and the Western powers in order to help raise existing problems.
Steinmeier further said the sides will have talks regarding the JCPOA implementation on agenda.
Adding that the real implementation will come the following day, the German diplomat said that a lot of work is needed to be done in that regard.
Germany’s foreign minister arrived in Tehran on Sunday morning to attend the Munich Security Conference (MSC) and to meet with Iranian officials. Steinmeier also met with President Hassan Rouhani as well as the Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani.
Since its foundation five decades ago, the Munich Security Conference (MSC) has become a leading international platform for dialogue on foreign and security policy. In addition to its annual flagship conference, the MSC regularly convenes high-profile events on particular topics and regions and publishes the Munich Security Report.
Since 2009, the MSC has linked up with local partners to host so-called Core Group Meetings in capitals around the world. Limited to an exclusive group of no more than 60 participants, the MSC Core Group Meeting provides an intimate setting for high-level decision-makers from around the globe to discuss current security challenges in their host region's context. Meetings have already taken place in Washington, D.C. (2009 & 2013), Moscow (2010), Beijing (2011), Doha (2013), New Delhi (2014), and Vienna (2015). Further Core Group Meetings are planned for Addis Ababa (April 2016), Beijing, and Washington, D.C.
