Senior Iranian diplomat and former ambassador to the UK, Mohsen Baharvand, emphasized the need to focus on changing foreign policy in the future to mitigate the shadows of war and threats facing the country politically, economically, and militarily.
In an interview with "Baghdad Today," Baharvand stated, "To dispel the shadows of war and the international isolation imposed on the Islamic Republic, we need to change our foreign policy, and the next president should do that." He added, "We must understand that the political and economic behavior of other members of the international community, from America and Europe to China, Iraq, South Africa, and others, has logic and is based on rules of the game."
He explained, "Foreign policy elections have become an opportunity for those involved in diplomacy and foreign policy to express their opinions, and regardless of who wins the presidency in Iran, ideally, they should be able to bring policies into consensus within the decision-making body of the system so that the diplomatic system can achieve its following objectives over an eight-year process without sacrificing one for the other."
The Iranian diplomat pointed out that restoring the country's status in the international community requires changes in foreign policy, stressing that "establishing Iran's status as a stable and strong state with clear policies and well-defined red lines, as well as a reliable deterrent power in the Middle East, is essential."
He continued, "Presenting Iran as an influential member of the international community that can play a constructive role in maintaining peace, order, and stability at the international and regional levels is extremely important through effective measures, while simultaneously interacting and negotiating with the international community, neutralizing or lifting the economic war and sanctions imposed on the country's economy, so that banking and financial institutions in both the public and private sectors can easily interact with their foreign partners." He noted that "resolving Iran's international disputes through peaceful means and managing hostilities requires strength in the diplomatic system."
