Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian of Iran says the Israeli regime’s protracted war on the besieged Gaza Strip has put regional security at a serious risk.
Speaking in a press conference in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, on Tuesday, Amir-Abdollahian said Iran supports any action on the regional and international level aimed at forcing Israel to end its bloody hostilities.
The Iranian minister expressed hope that a recent stance adopted by the African Union to condemn Israel would be replicated at other regional and international arenas.
More than 29,000 people have been killed since Israel started the deadly campaign in early October. The brutality has prompted attacks on the interests of Israel and the United States in the region by groups supporting the Palestinian cause.
Amir-Abdollahian arrived in Colombo late Monday on an official visit to the Indian Ocean island.
The minister held talks with senior government officials of Sri Lanka on Tuesday, including with Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, and President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
In the joint press conference with Sabry, the Iranian minister said Tehran and Colombo had agreed to expand relations of cooperation in economy and trade, among other fields.
The minister said a 100-megawatt power plant designed and built by Iranian companies would soon open in Sri Lanka. Amir-Abdollahian said President Ebrahim Raeisi may also pay a visit to Sri Lanka in the near future upon an official invitation.
Amir-Abdollahian said Sri Lanka had turned into a major tourist destination for Iranian visitors, with some 120,000 tourists from Iran having visited the country in 2023.
“We are happy the two countries enjoy strong cooperation in international organizations and communities and support each other’s positions,” said the Iranian minister.
