The meeting took place on Thursday, during the second Regional Conference on Provincial Diplomacy. The session brought together Iran’s envoys to Central Asian states, Russia, Pakistan, India, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
During the meeting, Araghchi addressed current foreign policy issues, with a particular focus on regional relations, underscoring the importance of provincial diplomacy as a practical approach to strengthening ties with neighboring countries.
Araghchi urged the ambassadors to use the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the diverse economic and commercial capacities of Khorasan Razavi, North Khorasan, and South Khorasan provinces.
On the topic of sanctions, Araghchi emphasized that abandoning efforts to lift them would be a mistake. Instead, he advocated for a dual strategy: actively working to neutralize the impact of sanctions while simultaneously addressing the country’s internal needs.
He noted that less than half of the trade and economic potential with neighboring countries has been utilized. To further expand regional engagement, Araghchi proposed holding the third Provincial Diplomacy Conference in Urmia or Tabriz to cover the northwest region, followed by a fourth session in Chabahar, in the southeast of the country, or another location in southwestern Iran.
