Belgian FM Holds Talks With SNSC Secretary

TEHRAN - The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Hassan Rowhani, met with the visiting Belgian Foreign Minister louis michel on Wednesday and told him Iran is keen to promoting ties with the European Union in all areas.

In the meeting, Rowhani said sustainable peace and stability in the region and the world and a comprehensive campaign against terrorism under the leadership of the UN form the cornerstone of Iranian policies.

Stressing Iran's policy of détente, the secretary of the Supreme national Security Council said the Iranian foreign policy is based on non-intervention in other countries' internal affairs and mutual respect for all nations.

Rowhani criticized the EU for imposing certain restrictions on the export of technology for peaceful purposes to Iran, and said Iran is a signatory to all nuclear, chemical and biological conventions and is ready to hold talks with the EU to clear up some mutual concerns on the matter.

He said Iran's arms policies are for defensive purposes and that it has no intention of using its arms capabilities against any country.

Rowhani said some countries are threatening global security and peace by using the campaign against terrorism as a pretext to pursue their own warmongering policies in the world.

He called for measures against poverty and the unjust distribution of capital in the world and an end to the occupation of territories by certain countries that, according to him, are the main roots of terrorism in the world.

In his meeting with Michel, he also referred to the Muslim anger caused by the massacre of Palestinians by Zionist forces, and noted that the blind U.S. support for the Tel Aviv regime in the latter's crimes against the Palestinians has added to this Muslim hatred against the U.S. administration.

Touching on the Middle East crisis, he further noted that an end to the Zionist occupation of Palestinian territories, the return of Palestinian refugees and the adoption of Bait-ul-Moqaddas as the eternal capital of the Palestinian state are the prerequisites to a just solution to the Middle East crisis.

For his part, Belgian Foreign Minister louis michel said the EU has reached a level of political maturity whereby it is able to formulate policies freely and independently.

He said the EU is "opposed to U.S. policies towards Iran," indirectly referring to Washington's branding of Iran as part of an "axis of evil." "From the European Union's point of view, Iran is a key country in the region," Michel said.

He said the EU does not seek animosity in the world but, instead, desires peace and interaction among world countries.

On recent developments in the fight against terrorism, the Belgian foreign minister said the mobilization of military forces is not a proper solution to eradicating terrorism. He said bridging the North-South gap and settling the Middle East crisis would have "very important effects" on ending terrorism in the world and in the region.

Michel said the EU backing for the formation of a Palestinian state may be a good guarantee to solving the crisis in the Middle East.

Referring to his travel to the Islamic Republic of Iran, he said Brussels is determined to increase its relations in all fields with Tehran, and that a trade agreement between Iran and the EU could be signed as soon as possible.