Speech of H.E. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the Honorable Foreign Minister of I.R. Iran at the Fifth Session of the History of Foreign Relations

Speech of H.E. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the Honorable Foreign Minister of I.R. Iran at the Fifth Session of the History of Foreign Relations 27th of December, 2021

In the Name of God

 

Delving into important issues with historical backgrounds that deeply influence our destiny and the progeny is an inevitable necessity for rectifying policy makings that can transform approaches and ultimately lead to performance change. Hence, the opportunity to talk about an important issue such as the destiny of the Iranian expatriates should be seized.

If the annals of history are perused, we may be informed of the reasons behind the departure of a large number of the elite, scholars and thinkers from Iran to India during the Safavid Dynasty who ended up becoming luminaries of our past in the court of Mughal kings in India, promulgating the Iranian culture, religious, faith and Shiite identity as well as the Persian language. As a result of this historic migration, the Iranian community in India took a new shape and left a deep impact on the destiny of contemporary Iran. For consecutive centuries and until the British colonization of the Indian Subcontinent, the majority of our cultural bonds, trade exchanges and political contacts were conducted thanks to the resolve of the Iranian expats in India.

Consequently, Iran and India as two major powers began treading the path of building civilization. That is why the then leaders of India considered Isfahan as their refuge. Concurrent with the time when immigration to the East started, a number of the religious scholars, too, departed for Yemen. They communed and communicated with Zaidi Shias and perpetuated the ground for historical interactions between Iran and Yemen of the old.

Other influential Iranians overseas were those who embarked on building cities and places in Central Asia to exhibit manifestations of the Persian Art of those times.

The presence of this group of Iranians solidified the links and the roots of bonds of friendship between the people of Iran and other denizens of the old Khorasan region. As a matter of fact, the role played by the Iranians in Central Asia throughout the 18th century up to the 19th century in expanding upon trade and promoting culture in the said region is peerless.

Parallel to such developments in the Eastern territories of Iran in those times, the western and northwestern regions with the Shia sacred sites in Arabian Iraq serving as their center, were also witnessing the historical migration of Iranians. Even when the Caucasus was severed from Iran as a result of the armed forces of the Tsarist Russia, the reach of the presence of Iranians in that geography was spared. Actually the Iranians of the Caucasus guaranteed the survival of the Iranian (Shia)-Islamic culture in that geography during the Imperial Russia which was rife with identity- and religion-related upheavals.

Throughout history, this very same people turned into pure-hearted allies for the Muslims and an effective source of strength for Iran. From the second half of the 18th century to the end of the 19th century, Iranian communities were scattered sporadically but in significant numbers all over the western parts of Iran from Trabzon and Najaf and Karbala to Egypt, Sudan and the lands of the Central Europe.

The existing reports indicate a variety of interactions whose continuation and vastness allowed Iran to weather the following during those tough years:

- Being besieged by the two colonialist powers in the North and the South.

- Natural disasters such as drought and earthquakes.

- Extreme economic maladies and famine.

- Repeated epidemics such as plague and cholera.

 

The World War drastically changed the security and political arrangements of that era as well as the routes travelled by migrants. Far-off destinations became close and, hence, Iranian communities reached every corner of the Earth. As a result, shipping lines were established from the Hamburg harbor in Germany to Anzali in the north of Iran, connecting Iran to all areas in the Orient and the Occident via routes such as Persian Gulf shores and ports. This added to the diplomatic diameter of Iran on the eve of global developments. The presence of Iranian nationals and the role played by them both diversified relations and added to their reach.

Although the route of migration from Iran has remained in place throughout the last one hundred years, the migration of our time does not mean detachment from Iranian cultural and civilizational identity and values. With or without state support, Iranian expatriates have cherished not only their language, culture and beliefs but also come up with their own diverse cultural styles and patterns to the history of Iran, Persian language and Shiite identity.

After the victory of the Islamic Revolution in February of 1979, a new chapter of contacts and exchanges with Iranian expat communities was opened. The Iranian expat community was not at first as well-organized as it should have been due to the anti-Iranian propaganda by the Western media but soon began to function well as a result of the invasion against Iran by Saddam which spurred a shared sentiment of patriotism. A dynamic movement was formed at that time amongst the Iranian elites residing outside the country so that not only those wounded by Saddam's Baathist chemical attacks would be received and treated by them and constructive initiatives initiated in this regard but also forced open the closed eyes of the western media to the realities of Iran. After those bitter yet proud years of Sacred Defense, it was the assets and thoughts of the very same network of Iranian elite that was able to become a complement to the national and independent economy of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Today, the 13th government of the Islamic Republic of Iran focuses upon cooperation with neighboring countries and advancing an economic diplomacy based on a balanced foreign policy and dynamic and smart policy and is determined to lay the foundation for further intra-regional cooperation. In this regard, the network of Iranian expatriates can play a pivotal role. 

The Ministry of Foreign affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran focuses accommodatingly on providing facilities to the Iranian expatriates.

Giving priority to the rise in the level of cultural contacts and social interactions in the public diplomacy of the Foreign Ministry in the coming months and using fresh and innovative initiatives is another ongoing program. In addition, the first meeting of the High Council of Iranian Expatriates to be convened soon chaired by the honorable president heralds a promising future for the strong bond between the Iranian expatriates and their motherland.

In this comprehensive view, the following are important and instrumental:

- Offering consular services and facilities.

- Ensuring uninterrupted and peaceful comings and goings of the Iranian expatriates.

- Significant changes in the citizenship laws for the children born to Iranian mothers and granting citizenship to such children.

- Resolving legal issues and disputes through safe communication systems during the coronavirus pandemic in order to alleviate the concerns regarding issues pertaining to birth, death, marriage and divorce of those Iranians living abroad who are unable to travel to Iran or for whom travelling is deemed dangerous due to the risks of common and endemic diseases. In addition, as emphasized by the honorable president, introducing comprehensive laws with the help of the Parliament to support Iranian expatriates is an important measure whose process will be commenced in the forthcoming meeting of the High Council of Iranians. 

The foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran under the 13th administration seeks, in a hopeful spirit, to engage in cooperation and sympathy with the entire nation of Iran, including compatriots living within the country's geography as well as those living abroad. There also exists the readiness to take accelerated leaps and strides together towards regional cooperation based on the bonds with the neighboring nations with whom we have been living for centuries on the bedrock of shared culture and civilization. Consequently, it is necessary for the research structures of the Foreign Ministry of Iran to pen new chapters on practical projects seeking to examine the problems and issues befalling the Iranians living abroad and share the results with other expert institutes both within the government and the parliament in order to draft bills. I will use all my efforts and necessary resources in the diplomatic apparatus to achieve this ideal and I am assuredly hopeful to be entitled to the blessed prayers and guidelines of the honorable professors and researchers.