TEHRAN -- Iran on Monday hit out at the organizers of the 2023 Munich Security Conference for not giving an equal chance to all members of the international community to present their views, saying the event took place under the slogan of security but actually promoted war.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said during a presser that the Munich conference this year hosted some anti-Iran figures instead of the Iranian government.
He said the organizers of the annual event made “a grave mistake” and “damaged the conference’s credulity” as they sought unilateralism in the international order by preventing the expression of different views, especially those that are opposed to the U.S. government.
“The Islamic Republic is one of the most important countries with an undisputed role in deepening and consolidating regional security, and it is among effective countries that helps reinforce international security,” he said.
“The conference was held in the name of security, but it did not invite important countries such as the Islamic Republic and Russia. It means that the conference has given the opportunity, which could be used to raise different multilateral views regarding international order and security, to parties and currents that sought to consolidate unilateralism in the international arena.”
Kanaani noted that Iran has contributed a lot to security in the region and Europe by fighting terrorist groups such as Daesh.
“We believe that this year, the conference was organized in the name of security, but for the sake of war and warmongers,” he said.
Elsewhere in his comments, Kanaani reiterated Iran’s commitment to technical cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), expressing hope that the UN nuclear agency will in turn behave professionally toward the country’s peaceful nuclear activities.
“The Islamic Republic’s technical cooperation with the IAEA is an important principle for our country. In turn, we expect the agency to behave professionally toward Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities and adhere to the principles and frameworks of professional and specialized cooperation with member states, including the Islamic Republic,” he said.
Kanaani also reiterated Iran’s adherence to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the safeguards agreements.
Kan’ani also confirmed indirect Tehran-Washington talks, with Qatar playing an intermediary role, to exchange prisoners.
The prisoners swap “was in progress, but it was not carried out due to the United States’ bad faith. Most of the prisoners were arrested for circumventing sanctions. We thank the Qatari government for its role and it is being done by resolving the technical issues,” he explained.