Tuesday, 02 January 2024 12:17 GMT

Iran's Top Diplomat Talks UN Peace Efforts with Guterres


(MENAFN) Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held a phone call with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres shortly after touching down in New York for the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, Iran's state news agency reported Tuesday.

The two discussed items on the General Assembly's agenda and exchanged views on Guterres' efforts to advance international peace and security, according to the news agency.

Speaking to Iranian reporters at the outset of his visit, Araghchi said Tehran's central goal is to leverage the UN as a major global platform to defend what he described as the rights, interests and legitimate claims of the Iranian people.

He framed the trip as coming in the aftermath of what he called a "cowardly war" launched against Iran by the US and Israel, along with the developments that followed.

Araghchi described the UN as the world's largest international forum, offering nations a critical stage to present their positions and messages to the global community. He added that Iran uses the General Assembly each year to lay out its stance and advocate for the rights of the Iranian people.

The foreign minister also took aim at what he characterized as an erosion of trust in the UN, accusing certain countries of operating "without regard for international institutions, international law or the collective human conscience."

He further accused Western nations of failing to seriously condemn Israeli "crimes" in Palestine, Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.

Rebuilding confidence in the UN, Araghchi said, is therefore an "important discussion," arguing that the General Assembly presents an opportunity to examine both how that trust eroded and how it might be restored.

Araghchi arrived in New York on Monday evening, leading a diplomatic delegation to the UN gathering.

The General Debate of the 81st UN General Assembly opened Tuesday and is set to continue through Sept. 28 at UN headquarters in New York. This year's session carries the theme "Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all."

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