Iran dep. FM, Philippine FM stress Gaza war must stop

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Ali Bagheri, who has taken a trip to Manila to take part in the seventh meeting of the Joint Consultative Committee of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of the Philippines, met with Philippine Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo on Wednesday morning.

During the meeting, the Iranian deputy foreign minister said sixty years of interaction and cooperation can best support bolstering of the ties between the two countries in the future.

Bagheri pointed to the Zionist regime’s crime in murdering women and children in Gaza and called on all independent countries to make efforts to stop the Zionist regime’s genocide and war crimes against the defenseless people in Gaza.

During the meeting, the Philippine foreign minister referred to his recent meeting with his Iranian counterpart on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session in New York and expressed his country's willingness to promote ties with Iran, especially in the economic field.

Manalo said the developments in Gaza and the slaughter of Palestinian women and children are “deeply disturbing”, adding the Philippines believes that the war in Gaza should immediately stop.