Iran Calls for Identification of Root Causes of Terrorism

Iranian President Mohammad Khatami on Sunday called for identification of the root causes of terrorism to avoid hasty actions in dealing with the ominous phenomenon, the official IRNA news agency reported.

During a meeting with Canadian Foreign Minister John Manley, Khatami said that "all countries should avoid hasty and unilateral actions in dealing with terrorism. They should display firm resolve to identify the root causes of terrorism and then go on to fight terrorism."

"Be certain that as long as oppressions and injustice exist, peace and security will not prevail in the world," he stressed, saying that the international community should understand past mistakes and take effective measures to prevent repetition of such mistakes.

Khatami expressed hope that the "current war and killing of innocent and poor Afghans would come to an end soon and a durable peace would be established" in the war-torn country.

Iran "welcomes expansion of trade relations and economic cooperation with all countries, especially Canada, on the basis of mutual respect and common interests," he said.

He said that the September 11 terror attacks against the U.S. proved that the use of force and violence for political objectives are condemned worldwide and campaign against the ominous phenomenon should be carried out internationally.

He called for Iran's effective role to bring to an end the current Afghan crisis to help restore peace and security in the world.

Manley arrived here on Saturday. He was the first Canadian foreign minister to visit Iran in 10 years.






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