What Will Iran's Foreign Policy Look Like Under New President Pezeshkian?
15:45 06.07.2024 (Updated: 14:18 08.07.2024)
© AP Photo / Vahid Salemi
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Former Health Minister Masoud Pezeshkian won the second round of Iran's presidential election with 16,384,403 votes. Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Pezeshkian on his election in a letter released by the Kremlin on Saturday.
Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran's newly elected president, shared with Sputnik the main priorities of Iran's foreign policy shortly before the election.
Pezeshkian emphasized his intention to strengthen ties with Russia and China and to ensure Iran's active presence in the BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
"Russia is a friend and partner of Iran, and I consider the deepening and expansion of relations with Russia and China a top priority, as well as increasing foreign policy activities in the Asian region as a whole. We will undoubtedly continue efforts at all levels—bilateral, regional, and international—to enhance interaction with Russia," he said.
He further elaborated on his views regarding the SCO and BRICS, asserting their importance in his foreign policy strategy.
"Iran opposes unilateral policies and supports the principle of multipolarity. Additionally, one of the priorities of my foreign policy program is regional cooperation. To this end, Iran will expand its presence in BRICS and SCO and seek more active cooperation with the EAEU to fully realize the trade and economic potential with the member countries of this organization," Pezeshkian noted.
He also expressed hope that Russia and China would assist Iran in revitalizing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and lifting sanctions.
"The JCPOA is an international agreement approved by the UN. The US's unilateral withdrawal from this agreement caused significant harm to Iran and the Iranian people. As Russia has emphasized multiple times, Iran has fulfilled its obligations, and we see our task as getting the other participants to return to this agreement as soon as possible and achieving the lifting of sanctions. I am confident that the friendly governments of Russia and China will support Iran and assist in resolving this issue."
