WANA (Sep 16) – Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that although Iran has long been a victim of U.S. unilateralism and the “dangerous adventurism” of Israel, these challenges have not deterred the country from fulfilling its responsibilities as an active and influential international player.

 

Speaking at the opening of the 2nd National Conference on Iran and the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), Araghchi highlighted the growing global and regional challenges of recent years, including what he described as “unprecedented, blatant, and brazen violations of the most fundamental human values, international law, and the UN Charter by the Zionist regime with the backing of certain world powers.”

 

He warned that such developments threaten to undo the achievements of the international community since World War II, adding: “Today, the world is facing unrestrained unilateralism more than ever before, undermining the international order, destabilizing peace and security, and limiting opportunities for cooperation among nations.”

 

Araghchi stressed that this situation underscores the importance of strengthening multilateral mechanisms and creating new frameworks for collective cooperation, especially among developing countries. He said Iran, despite being targeted by “unjust U.S. unilateralism and Israeli recklessness,” continues to actively contribute to regional and multilateral economic and developmental initiatives.

 

On ECO’s future, Araghchi called the organization the oldest regional economic cooperation mechanism in the developing world, noting its valuable foundations and frameworks but warning that its current output falls short of its vast potential. He urged member states to align efforts toward building a “desirable ECO” that could serve as a model of regional multilateral cooperation.

 

Looking ahead, Araghchi pointed to the drafting of ECO’s 2035 Vision, which he said must be “realistic, scientific, actionable, and measurable” to guide the organization through global economic fluctuations, geopolitical challenges, and technological transformations. He also highlighted the central role of emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, stressing that failing to embrace AI would widen the development gap with other regions.

 

Araghchi recalled that during the recent ECO Summit in Azerbaijan, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian proposed the establishment of an ECO Artificial Intelligence Center, which, he said, could serve both as a platform for regional technological cooperation and as a driver of broader collaboration in other fields.

 

Concluding his remarks, Araghchi emphasized that ECO’s cooperation in the coming decade must enhance the collective resilience of its members against future crises, including energy and food insecurity, pandemics, climate change, natural disasters, global economic volatility, and supply chain disruptions. He stressed that coordinated planning to tackle these threats must be central to ECO’s new 10-year vision.