Iran, Persian Gulf States Must Normalize Ties: Qatar’s FM

Iran, Persian Gulf States Must Normalize Ties: Qatar’s FM
Tue Sep 29, 2015 17:31:11

Qatar's foreign minister said the time has now come for Iran and Persian Gulf States to hold “serious dialogue” and normalize ties.

"We need to have a serious dialogue with the Iranians. We are neighbors and can't change the geography," Khaled al-Attiyah said in an interview with Reuters on Monday.

"We have to discuss all issues and leave nothing behind and only then we can have a normal relation between neighbors,” he added.

Earlier on Monday, the Qatari emir also said Iran and Persian Gulf states should enter negotiations in order to settle their political differences.

"The disputes (between Iran and some certain Persian Gulf Arab states), in my opinion, are political, regional, Arab-Iranian differences rather than being a Sunni-Shiite dispute,” Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said during his address at the 70th session of the UN General Assembly session on Monday.

"This could be solved through dialogue and initially agreeing on rules governing their relationship between Iran and the [Persian] Gulf states on the basis of noninterference and internal affairs,” he added.

The 70th session of the UN General Assembly is underway at the UN Headquarters in New York.

Top diplomats attending the session discuss a broad range of crucial issues, including human rights, disarmament, nuclear safety and global terrorism; Tasnim reported.

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