Pezeshkian: We want security based on trust and mutual interests
Tehran - BORNA - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in his speech at the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) summit, emphasized that our region needs resilience against war, crisis, external pressure, and disruption in economic and communication routes more than ever before, and success in this path requires, above all, connecting the region's capacities to one another. Stating that "our common interests lie not in competition among routes but in connecting routes," he clarified: "For Central Asia, the Islamic Republic of Iran is not merely a partner; rather, it is a natural route to connect Central Asia and Eurasia to open waters. Iran's southern ports in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, especially Chabahar, can connect this region to South Asia, Africa, and then Europe."
The president, stating that the Islamic Republic of Iran considers itself a natural part of the interconnected geography of the region, and this bond is not only geographical but rooted in history, culture, civilization, and popular ties, added: "Accordingly, the Islamic Republic of Iran proposes that the 'Commonwealth of Independent States + Iran' or 'CIS+1' format be created as a flexible and effective mechanism for dialogue and cooperation so that we can develop joint cooperation in the fields of transit, energy, trade, mining, investment, technology, water and environment, tourism, and scientific and cultural communications."
Dr. Pezeshkian also emphasized that today we are not merely faced with the choice between isolation or dependence; rather, we must connect our capacities to each other so that each country can benefit from the advantages of this shared geography while maintaining its independence and national choices, stating: "We want connection instead of disconnection; cooperation instead of exhausting competition; interdependence instead of one-sided dependence; and security based on trust and mutual interests instead of security based on threats."
The text of the president's speech at the Commonwealth of Independent States summit is as follows:
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
His Excellency Serdar Berdimuhamedow, the Honorable President of Turkmenistan, and the Honorable Chair of the Summit;
Honorable Presidents;
Honorable Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Independent States;
Ladies and Gentlemen;
First, I sincerely thank the friendly and brotherly government and nation of Turkmenistan for inviting the Islamic Republic of Iran and hosting this important summit. The presence of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the first time and as the first country invited as a special guest to the summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States is a valuable opportunity to strengthen existing ties and open a new chapter of cooperation with the countries of this group. The coincidence of this summit with the summit of the Caspian Sea littoral states on the environment also provides a suitable context for simultaneous attention to geographical ties, shared interests, common concerns, and Iran's cooperation capacities with the Caspian littoral states and Central Asia.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let me begin my remarks with a reality that cannot be ignored when discussing the future of the region.
Our world and region have faced interconnected crises in recent years whose effects no longer remain within the borders of a single country. Developments surrounding the Russia-Ukraine war, with their extra-regional dimensions, have impacted security, trade, transportation, and particularly energy supply and markets. This event and similar crises have shown that disruption in one part of the region can quickly lead to economic, social, and even political pressures in other parts.
Iran, too, over the past year, has twice been the target of military attacks by the US and Israel; these blatant and illegal aggressions not only damaged my country's people and civilian infrastructure but have also affected many in the region and the world. These developments revealed a reality more than ever: regional security and stability is an indivisible concept. One cannot simultaneously seek security and development for one part of the region while fueling insecurity, economic pressure, and instability in another part.
The Islamic Republic of Iran, in order to establish lasting peace and stability, has always emphasized dialogue and diplomatic solutions; but dialogue has meaning and a chance of success when it is based on mutual respect, mutual commitments, and the abandonment of pressure and threats. Negotiation under the shadow of force is not negotiation; it is imposition and coercion. At the same time, the experience of recent years has shown that the instrumental use of trade, banking, technology, energy, and the international financial system against countries is not merely a bilateral issue; rather, it affects the economic security and development of the entire region and the world. Pressure and sanctions against Iran do not only limit Iran's economic capacities; rather, they will harm regional trade, connectivity, energy, and order.
Honorable Presidents;
Our region needs resilience against war, crisis, external pressure, and disruption in economic and communication routes more than ever before, and success in this path requires, above all, connecting the region's capacities to one another. Our common interests lie not in competition among routes but in connecting routes.
For Central Asia, the Islamic Republic of Iran is not merely a partner; rather, it is a natural route to connect Central Asia and Eurasia to open waters. Iran's southern ports in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, especially Chabahar, can connect this region to South Asia, Africa, and then Europe.
In this framework, Turkmenistan's proposal at the United Nations General Assembly to create a transport corridor between Central and South Asia and Europe via the Caspian Sea route can be operationalized by utilizing Iran's capacities.
The North-South and East-West corridors are components of a single regional network, not competitors! Therefore, every new route adds to the capacity of other routes and helps toward greater convergence in the region.
This same perspective must be pursued in the energy sector as well. Instead of competing to eliminate one another from the energy market, our region can turn into a network of energy production, transmission, and exchange; a network that links oil, gas, electricity, and renewable energies to shared economic interests and regional stability.
To boost trade, it is also necessary to pay attention to practical regional mechanisms, including financial and barter mechanisms, to facilitate exchanges among the region's countries; mechanisms that can increase the continuity of economic cooperation in the face of external disruptions and limitations.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Islamic Republic of Iran considers itself a natural part of the interconnected geography of the region. This bond is not only geographical but rooted in history, culture, civilization, and popular ties. Accordingly, the Islamic Republic of Iran proposes that the "Commonwealth of Independent States + Iran" or "CIS+1" format be created as a flexible and effective mechanism for dialogue and cooperation so that we can develop joint cooperation in the fields of transit, energy, trade, mining, investment, technology, water and environment, tourism, and scientific and cultural communications, and to provide joint regional solutions for shared challenges such as climate change, the depletion of water resources, environmental issues of the Caspian Sea and the Aral region, organized crime, drug trafficking, and so forth.
Today, more than ever, we need genuine multilateralism in the region. The countries of this important and strategic region must be among the main actors in shaping a multipolar world. From this perspective, regional diplomacy for us does not merely mean holding meetings; rather, it must turn into a tool for crisis management, maintaining communications, preventing the spread of conflict, and activating practical cooperation. This is the very approach we are pursuing within the framework of the Islamic Republic of Iran's neighborhood policy.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Today we are not merely faced with the choice between isolation or dependence; rather, we must connect our capacities to each other so that each country can benefit from the advantages of this shared geography while maintaining its independence and national choices.
We want connection instead of disconnection; cooperation instead of exhausting competition; interdependence instead of one-sided dependence; and security based on trust and mutual interests instead of security based on threats.
In conclusion, I once again thank the government and nation of Turkmenistan for inviting the Islamic Republic of Iran, hosting this summit, and for their valuable initiative in creating an opportunity to expand cooperation between Iran and the member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States. I hope this summit can be a practical step toward the formation of a region in which Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and Iran are not a collection of isolated spaces, but part of a single network of cooperation, security, and development. Geographical determinism has bound us to one another, but it is our political will that can turn this bond into a shared capital for peace, security, and development.
Thank you for your attention.
Peace, mercy, and blessings of God be upon you.
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