Addressing the opening of the second Provincial Diplomacy Conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the city of Mashhad on Wednesday, Araghchi pointed out that the volume of Iran’s trade with each of its neighbors is more than its total trade with Europe.
He said that neighboring states are the priority of the Foreign Ministry in terms of diplomacy, followed by others across the region.
Calling the provincial diplomacy one of the initiatives of the current administration, the top diplomat stressed the need for more interactions between the provinces on both sides of the border. “I see extensive capacities in provincial diplomacy that can bring blessings to the entire country,” he said.
He continued by saying that cooperation between the provinces bordering Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asian countries could boost not only tourism but also trade and commerce, adding that many bilateral issues can be examined and resolved.
Referring to the cross-border terrorism and smuggling, Araghchi underscored that the coordination between local officials in the border provinces could help tackle the issues, as terrorists and smugglers do not escape through legal border crossings.
Elsewhere in his speech, while urging businessmen and entrepreneurs to introduce Iran’s capabilities to the world, the top diplomat said the provinces should promote their local products and provide the manufacturers with media and economic support in target countries.
Economic diplomacy is only solution to tackle sanctions: Araghchi
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has stressed that the solution to confronting sanctions is economic diplomacy, and said that so a deputy has been formed in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for this reason, and provincial diplomacy conferences are also held in this regard.
“The main priority of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s foreign policy is its neighbors, an issue that is of political, security, and strategic importance to us, and at the same time, is also very important economically,” Araghchi told reporters in the city of Mashhad on Wednesday.
He said that one of the main goals of provincial diplomacy is to utilize the capacities of provinces in foreign relations, especially in the field of economic relations with neighboring countries of each province.
Araghchi added that also, in conditions of sanctions, economic relations with neighbors can provide suitable spaces to counter the effects of sanctions. “In fact, one of the effective strategies in neutralizing sanctions is to use regional and border capacities.”
“We believe that there is a lot of economic potential in the country that can flourish and be utilized through direct communication between provinces and neighboring countries,” the Foreign Minister added.
