Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham said that Iran feels no limits for expansion of friendly and brotherly cooperation and relations with Persian Gulf littoral states.
She made the remarks, reacting to the final statement of the 34th Persian Gulf Cooperation Council Summit which was held in Kuwait.
Afkham reiterated that promotion of ties with neighboring countries is Iran’s top priority and that Tehran is willing to maintain bilateral relations with Persian Gulf littoral states based on good neighboring policy, mutual respect and preventing to interfere in each other’s internal affairs.
Noting that establishing good relations with Iran’s neighboring states is one of the first priorities of Tehran’s foreign policy, Afkham stressed that government of President Hassan Rouhani is determined to take strong and practical steps to this end.
She, meantime, dismissed claims by certain Arab countries about the three Iranian Persian Gulf islands of Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs, saying the three islands are inseparable parts of Iran.
Afkham stressed that all measures taken by Tehran in Abu Musa, the Greater and the Lesser Tunbs were in line with Iran’s sovereign right over the three islands.
Iranian officials have on many occasions rejected the claims raised by the UAE on the three Iranian islands, underlining that such statements are baseless and unfounded.
International documents clearly show that the three islands of the Greater Tunb, the Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa which were historically owned by Iran, temporarily fell to British control in 1903. The islands were returned to Iran based on an agreement in 1971 before the UAE was born.
Iran has repeatedly declared that its ownership of the three islands is unquestionable.
Under international law, no state can defy any agreement, which came into being before its establishment.
Yet, the UAE continues to make territorial claims against the Islamic Republic despite historical evidence and international regulations. Tehran has always stressed that it is ready to remove the misunderstandings through talks.
