TEHRAN – A senior Iranian diplomat on Wednesday called for efforts by independent countries to halt Israeli genocide and war crimes against the defenseless people of the besieged Gaza Strip as he visited Manila.
Ali Bagheri Kani, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for political affairs, who is visiting the Philippines to take part in the seventh meeting of the joint consultative committee between Iran and the Philippines, met with Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines Enrique Manalo.
The Iranian diplomat described sixty years of amicable interaction and cooperation between the two nations as the best support for upgrading mutual relationships in the future.
The secretary of foreign affairs of the Philippines, for his part, recalled his recent meeting with his Iranian counterpart Hussein Amir-Abdollahian on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, saying that his country is keen on expanding ties with Iran, particularly in various economic sectors.
Manalo also described the devastating events in Gaza, as well as the massacre of Palestinian women and children as profoundly disturbing, saying the Philippines believes the war in Gaza should come to an end as soon as possible.
The seventh meeting of the political, economic, and cultural consultations between Iran and the Philippines was held in Manila after a seven-year hiatus.
Bagheri and Undersecretary for Bilateral and ASEAN affairs of the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines Maria Theresa P. Lazaro co-chaired the meeting Tuesday.
The representatives of the Philippines’ Department of Agriculture, Department of Science and Technology and Department of Tourism Planning and Promotions were also present in the meeting.
Pointing to the common threats that Iran and the Philippines are facing in the changing world of today, Bagheri said the international conditions necessitate closer interaction and cooperation between the two nations.
He also denounced the presence of outsiders in the West and East Asia as a source of insecurity, describing regional interaction as the sole way to the settlement of problems and establishment of sustainable peace and stability.
For her part, the Filipino diplomat expressed hope that the results of the meeting would serve as a road map to the expansion of bilateral, regional and international cooperation between the two Asian states.