Unilateral interventions harm democracy, peace, stability

[Wednesday, November 28, 2007 - 06.00 GMT]

 
Unilateral and interventionist policies are against the principles of democracy and harm world peace and stability, said the Joint Statement between Sri Lanka and Iran referring to the current important regional and international developments. The Statement was issued in Teheran yesterday (27) at the conclusion of President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s three-day official visit to Iran.
 
The two sides also condemned terrorism as a phenomenon, which is increasingly threatening the world and stressed the need for international cooperation to deal with its root causes.
  
Following is the full text of the Joint Statement between Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and Islamic Republic of Iran:
  
Upon the invitation of His Excellency D. Mohmoud Ahmadi Nejad, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, His Excellency Mahinda Rajapksa, the President of Sri Lanka, accompanied by a high-ranking political-economic delegation, paid an official visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran on November 26 - 28, 2007.
  
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran officially welcomed the President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka in a formal ceremony held at the site of the presidential office.
  
After the welcoming ceremony, the two Presidents in their official talks attended by the other high-ranking officials of the two sides discussed various aspects of the bilateral relations between the two countries.
  
The two sides stressed their determination to further promote their mutual cooperation in political, economic, trade, cultural, scientific and technological fields.
  
The official talks were held in an amicable atmosphere and the views of the two sides were identical on different issues.
              
Both sides expressed their satisfaction on the Agreements and MOUs reached between the two countries in the areas of power supply, irrigation, oil refinery in Sri Lanka, and further strengthening cooperation in the areas of customs, maritime shipping and promotion of tourism between the two countries.
  
Private sector business cooperation will be further enhanced with the signing of the two Momoranda of Understanding with the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Mines by the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka and the National Chamber of Commerce Sri Lanka.
  
President of Sri Lanka called on the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, His Eminence Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.
  
The two Presidents also discussed the current important regional and international developments and stated that unilateral and interventionist policies are against the principles of democracy and harm world peace and stability.
  
The two sides condemned terrorism as a phenomenon, which is increasingly threatening our world and stressed the need for international cooperation to deal with the root causes of this problem.
  
The Islamic Republic of Iran and Sri Lanka laid emphasis on the inalienable right of the NPT member states to research, development and use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes in conformity with the provisions of related international instruments.
  
The two sides believe that the IAEA is the sole competent authority to verify the legal and technical issues related to the IAEA safeguards and the compliance of states with their obligations under NPT.
  
The two sides reiterated the importance of nuclear disarmament, particularly the need for the nuclear powers to destroy their nuclear weapons based on the decisions of the relevant international meetings.
  
The two sides, while reiterating the importance of removing all nuclear weapons from the world, called for the creation of a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East.
  
The two sides expressed deep concerns over the violence against the Palestinian people and Palestinian lands and recognized the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and at the highest levels continue to express solidarity with the Palestinian people. Both sides also expressed the hope that the differences among different groups in Palestine will be resolved amicably.
  
The two sides emphasized the need for the consolidation of national unity and understanding, peaceful coexistence and preservation of the stability, security and peace in Lebanon.
  
Islamic Republic of Iran and the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, stressed the need for the preservation of the territorial integrity and unity of Iraq and participation of all Iraqi groups in the political process and expressed their support to the efforts of the Iraqi representative government to restore security and stability in Iraq.
  
The two sides, expressed concern over the escalation of insecurity and instability in Afghanistan, and to support the progress made in the country and stressed that the first priority in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is the restoration of peace and stability through the central government of this country.
  
The Islamic Republic of Iran and the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka agreed to adhere to the principles of the regional institutions such as Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, Colombo plan and support the enhancement of bilateral economic cooperation in the areas of tourism, trade, investment, within the framework of regional economic cooperation.
              
Both sides given the ever increasing importance of regional economic cooperation, agreed to welcome and support various initiatives for the development of such cooperation in Asia through the inter-linkage of existing regional arrangements such as Economic Cooperation Organization, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation, Association of Southeast Asian Nations  and the Colombo Plan.
  
His Excellency President Mahinda Rajapaksa, thanked the Government and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the warm hospitality accorded to him and his delegation curing his visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran.
  
His Excellency President Mahinda Rajapaksa, invited His Excellency President Ahmadi Nejad to pay an official visit to the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka in March/April 2008 in line with the regular exchange of visits between the top-ranking officials of the two countries. The invitation was accepted by his Excellency President Ahmadi Nejad. The date of the visit shall be determined through diplomatic channels.

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Last Updated Date: November 28, 2007 - 06.00 GMT