Iran
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi addressed the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) via video conference on Tuesday.
Raisi began his address by criticising the actions of the United States (US). Noting that two events made history in 2021—the Capitol riots in January and the frantic US withdrawal from Afghanistan—Raisi said that “the US’ hegemonic system has no credibility.”
He added, “Over the past decade, the US has been making the mistake of modifying its ‘way of war’ with the world instead of changing its way of life.” The Iranian President said while the US can launch wars in different parts of the world, the common people, including US taxpayers, pay for America’s “lack of rationality.”
Furthermore, Raisi blamed US sanctions for causing much of the problems in Iran. “Sanctions are the US’ new way of war with the nations of the world. Sanctions against the Iranian nation started not with my country’s nuclear program; they even predate the Islamic Revolution and go back to the year 1951 when oil nationalisation went underway in Iran,” he said. “Sanctions, especially sanctions on medicine at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, are crimes against humanity,” Raisi added.
In light of these sanctions, Raisi said Iran has begun to “sustainably produce” COVID-19 vaccines and become the “medical hub of the region.” “Coronavirus is a wake-up call for the whole world, reminding us once again that the security of all human beings is interdependent. Crises in human societies […] are all the result of inattention to the principles of rationality, justice and freedom,” he added.
Next, Raisi stressed that Iran’s policy is to “strive for the preservation of stability and territorial integrity of all the countries” in the Middle East. He underscored Iran’s role, especially in Syria and Iraq, in keeping out extremist elements like the Islamic State. Raisi noted that the US’ presence in Syria and Iraq “is the biggest hindrance to establishing democracy” in the region. “Freedom does not fit in the backpacks of soldiers coming from outside the region,” he said.
Regarding Iran’s nuclear programme, Raisi said the production and stockpiling of nuclear weapons are “forbidden based on the religious decree” by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “Nukes have no place in our defence doctrine and deterrence policy. The Islamic Republic considers the useful talks whose ultimate outcome is lifting all oppressive sanctions,” he stressed. While Iran “does not trust the promises made by the US government, it is willing to have large-scale political and economic cooperation and convergence with the rest of the world,” he added.
The Iranian President also touched upon the ongoing crises in Afghanistan, Yemen, and Palestine.
Turkey
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stressed the need to vaccinate more people against COVID-19 and urged the international community to join hands in addressing the “biggest health crisis of the last century.” He called on all countries to use the UNGA as a platform to find a solution to the coronavirus crisis, as this would “not only support the fight against the pandemic but also increase the hopes of billions of people who are going through difficult times.”
Additionally, Erdoğan condemned the prevalence of vaccine nationalism and countries’ rush to put their interests above that of the millions affected by the pandemic worldwide. “At a time when millions of people have lost their lives, and tens of millions of people are suffering in the grip of the virus, it is a disgrace for humanity that vaccine nationalism is still being carried on through different methods.” “It is clear that a global disaster such as the Covid-19 pandemic can only be overcome through international cooperation and solidarity,” he added.
Highlighting the role played by Turkey in combating the virus, the President said Turkey has shared the “capabilities at our disposal with our friends and brothers and sisters from the first day [and] we also sent medical aid to 159 countries and 12 international organisations.”
Next, Erdoğan spoke about the regional conflicts in Afghanistan, Syria, and Libya and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
Concerning Afghanistan, he said the country’s problems cannot be resolved “by imposing methods that do not consider the realities and the social fabric on the ground.” “Afghanistan needs the help and solidarity of the international community,” Erdoğan stressed.
Regarding Syria, he noted that the biggest threat to Syrian stability is terrorist organisations like the Islamic State and the Kurdish PKK. Erdoğan hailed Turkey’s role in Syria and said the country provided humanitarian aid to Syrians, took in millions of refugees, and fought against terrorists.
Similarly, he praised Turkey’s role in bringing stability to Libya and vowed to continue supporting its democratic transition. He blamed Israel for its “illegal settlement policies” in Palestine and condemned its “violations of the sanctity” of the Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem.
Talking about the Kashmir issue during his speech, the Turkish President said, “We maintain our stance in favour of solving the ongoing problem in Kashmir for 74 years, through dialogue between the parties and within the framework of relevant United Nations resolutions.” Erdoğan has previously raised the Kashmir issue several times, which has prompted an intense backlash from India.
Erdoğan also discussed the Crimean crisis, the dispute with Cyprus and Greece, and the threats posed by climate change.
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Qatar
Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani talked about “returning to normalcy” from a world still experiencing the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. He said vaccines provide the key to effectively solving the pandemic and said the spread of “fake news, conspiracy theories and unprecedented scepticism about the feasibility of vaccines” were the biggest challenges. He added that Qatar, along with international partners, was working to ensure global vaccine availability.
Furthermore, Al-Thani underscored the importance of “dialogue based on mutual interests” in resolving regional conflicts, including the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Iranian issues. He also urged Israel to “end its occupation of Arab lands” and called on the international community to ensure the establishment of a “Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, alongside the State of Israel.”
Regarding the Afghan crisis, Al-Thani urged that dialogue with the Taliban is necessary to solve the situation. “We stress the necessity of continuing dialogue with Taliban because boycott only leads to polarization and reactions, whereas dialogue could bring in positive results,” he said.
Egypt
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi called on the international community to fight against the “common challenge” of the COVID-19 pandemic. He argued that ensuring the “fair and equitable” availability of vaccines is necessary. Additionally, he said Egypt “has been keen to encourage the local manufacture the vaccine, not only to meet the needs of its citizens but also to export to the African continent.”
El-Sisi talked about the adverse effects of climate change and the impact it will have on future generations. “We have witnessed, over the past period, many harsh environmental phenomena in many countries, whether floods and heavy rains or the unprecedented hike in temperatures and wildfires,” he said. “Egypt exerts its utmost effort to enhance coordination on climate issues to avoid reaching a point when returning to normal climate conditions would be difficult,” he added.
In addition, he talked about international efforts to tackle the threat of terrorism and improve human rights worldwide. The Egyptian President also discussed the issues of Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen.
Somalia
Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmaajo talked about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Somalia and the world. “Across the world, people have lost their lives, livelihoods and are tasked with the enormous challenge of rebuilding their lives, communities, and countries during a very uncertain period in human history,” Farmaajo said.
“Somalia’s economy has been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic like everywhere else in the world, but this has not deterred us from successfully continuing on our national economic reform path,” he noted. Farmaajo added that the reforms were successful and “have enhanced the trust between the Somali government and public and international partners and helped to deliver basic public services.”
Lastly, he noted the devastating impact of climate change on Somalia. “Somalia has been cyclically challenged with recurring droughts and, in the same year, floods. It has painful human and economic consequences with many lives and livelihoods lost as a result,” the Somali President said. Stressing that climate change has led to food insecurity, internal displacement, and the weakening of rural economic networks, Farmaajo called on the UN and the international community to work together to reduce the impact of climate change.