Interaction with neighbors priority in Iran's foreign policy

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei made the remarks in his speech at the endorsement ceremony of President Masoud Pezeshkian.

The Leader endorsed the presidential decree of the newly-elected president of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian in a ceremony on Sunday morning.

In his speech, Ayatollah Khamenei thanked the vice president of the 13th Iranian administration Mohammad Mokhber for managing the country's affairs during the past two months.

He also hailed the efforts of the late founder of the Islamic Revolution Imam Khomeini (RA) in involving the nation in issues regarding the country's governing.

Admiring the Iranian nation's turnout in the presidential elections, the Leader stressed, "We all need to help the president and the government do great things."

He further advised the upcoming government to pay attention to all the issues of the country, including the social and cultural issues, but prioritize the issue of the economy and work to improve the situation of the Iranian nation's livelihood in a short time.

The internal capacities of the country should also be noticed, he said, adding, "Of course, this does not mean not using foreign facilities."

"In the face of global and regional waves and events, the country's response should be active and effective, not passive. Various political and scientific issues and extraordinary developments that happen, for example, in artificial intelligence, we must also be active in these issues," the Leader emphasized. "The 13th government made a good effort in this regard. Martyr Amir-Abdollahian was a good diplomat, he moved and worked well and this effort should be continued.

"One of our priorities in the field of foreign policy is our neighbors; We have about 14 neighbors around us. Communication with countries that can expand our diplomatic field, such as Asian and African countries, is very important. Communication with the countries that cooperated with us and supported us is important and this is our priority policy."

Western countries did not treat us well in these few years, he said, adding that Iran can also prioritize interaction with the Western states if they give up on such a behavior.

Referring to the ongoing Israeli genocidal war in the Gaza Strip, Ayatollah Khamenei said, "Today, the issue of Gaza is a general and global issue."

"The Zionist regime is a gang of criminals, murderers, and terrorists," he further cited.

He also stressed that the power of the Resistance is increasing day by day and the Zionist enemy was not able to defeat the Resistance with all the help it received.