Goff Praises Iran's Work for Peace in Middle East, Supports Nuclear Programme
From Iran's Islamic Republic News Agency
New Zealand's Minister of Defense, Disarmament and Arms Phil Goff on Wednesday in Wellington praised Iran's key role in the establishment of peace in the Middle East.
In a meeting with Iran's Ambassador to New Zealand Morteza Rahmani-Movahhed, he referred to Iran as an "old friend" of his country.
He further described Iran's role in efforts to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan as "determining."
Iran and New Zealand have enjoyed many years of friendly relations, he said, and called for continuation of such amicable ties.
On Iran's peaceful nuclear program, Goff said Wellington supports Iran's resolve to continue its peaceful nuclear program.
The Iranian envoy, for his part, said Tehran is interested in expansion of ties with friendly countries, adding that the two countries share similar views regarding many world issues.
He stressed that as a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and several other international treaties, the Islamic Republic of Iran has a right to insist on its inalienable right to the pursuit of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
New Zealand's Minister of Defense, Disarmament and Arms Phil Goff on Wednesday in Wellington praised Iran's key role in the establishment of peace in the Middle East.
In a meeting with Iran's Ambassador to New Zealand Morteza Rahmani-Movahhed, he referred to Iran as an "old friend" of his country.
He further described Iran's role in efforts to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan as "determining."
Iran and New Zealand have enjoyed many years of friendly relations, he said, and called for continuation of such amicable ties.
On Iran's peaceful nuclear program, Goff said Wellington supports Iran's resolve to continue its peaceful nuclear program.
The Iranian envoy, for his part, said Tehran is interested in expansion of ties with friendly countries, adding that the two countries share similar views regarding many world issues.
He stressed that as a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and several other international treaties, the Islamic Republic of Iran has a right to insist on its inalienable right to the pursuit of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
posted by Trevor Loudon at
3/01/2007 03:30:00 AM
8 Comments:
I never heard this on the news. i wonder why not? :)
EXOCET
Its just the politics of big business me thinks.
Iran has enormous potential as a market for new Zealand's primary produce.
Perhaps its just about benefiting the New Zealand economy in the global market place.
Spot on. Sucking up to oppressive governments, tolerating abuses in the name of trade deals and praising things in other countries that are unacceptable at home. All in the name of profit.
I know you oppose this sort of thing in your dreamy, 'it all looks great on paper' theoretical model, but this is how capitalism works in the real world, Trev.
Sam, I'd personally call it socialism. Goff, while regarded as a "moderate" for some reason, has always been on the hard left, foreign policy wise.
Goff backed the left in Timor, he has backed the Palestinians over Israel and now he's crawling across the Bremworth to Iran.
Meanwhile Helen's off to meet Bush and tell him how concerned she is about Iran and North Korea's nuclear development.
I guess you'd call, say Thatcher, Nixon and G W Bush 'hard left' socialists too then, given the two former leader's cosying up to China to score a few dollars, and Bush's acceptance of state atrocities in Pakistan, Central Asia and elsewhere.
George w is as much a threat to world peace as the other lot. But as we know, George is doing God's work.
George W is a facist meglomaniac and no friend of freedom per see.
Sam, no but I would hardly call the current US system capitalism either.
As you've probably relised I'm no great fan of neo-con power drives.
I'm basically a Jeffersonian, who believes that large powers like the US, should keep out of foreign entanglements, maintain a strong defense and let the world sort its own problems out.
Unfortunately I think that Russia, China, the Islamic world etc are gearing up to challenge the West-which includes us.
In these circumstances I think it is wise to keep on good tems with the US and support its just wars, Afghanistan etc.
Its certainly a very grey world out there (morally speaking) and its neither possible or desirable to regard any nation as above reproach.
Having said that Sam, I am on the side of "western values" as and where they are displayed.
"George w is as much a threat to world peace as the other lot. But as we know, George is doing God's work.
George W is a facist meglomaniac and no friend of freedom per see."
Yawn. The usual pro-Communist rhetoric.
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