Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi - January 25, 2001 - Significant Meeting with Kamal Kharrazi, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regarding Differences in Foreign Policy with Ayatollah Khamenei and the Status of International Cooperation under the Reform Government

Significant Meeting with Kamal Kharrazi, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regarding Differences in Foreign Policy with Ayatollah Khamenei and the Status of International Cooperation under the Reform Government

Consultative Meeting with Abdollah Jasbi Regarding the Affairs of Azad University and Potential Candidacy in the Upcoming Presidential Elections

Meeting with Hossein Sadeqi, Director General of the Persian Gulf at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Iftar Invitation by Ali Aghamohammadi with the Presence of Various Reformists, Notably Mentioning Sheikh Hadi Ghafari

Complete Daily Entry:

Dr. Abdollah Jasbi, the head of Azad University, visited to discuss the proposal from the Barzani Kurds in Iraq to establish a branch of Azad University in Erbil. I asked if they had suitable conditions for such an initiative. He also spoke about the possibility of his candidacy for the presidential election. Mr. Hossein Sadeqi, the Director General for the Persian Gulf at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and our former ambassador to the UAE, also attended, discussing the need for unity among factions and efforts to address the country's problems.

Kamal Kharrazi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, arrived and shared his challenges in fulfilling the responsibilities of his ministry, identifying a lack of coordination among officials and differences with the Leader's opinions as the main issues. He cited examples regarding Iraq and Afghanistan, where contradictory policies exist; on one hand, there is opposition to the sovereignty of the Taliban and Saddam, while on the other hand, there is a need for appeasement to mitigate their disturbances. The issue with Pakistan has escalated due to Afghan matters, and problems with Central Asian countries, especially those along the Caspian Sea, have intensified due to escalating legal issues regarding the Caspian, with no near-term resolution in sight. Relations with the southern Gulf states remain strained due to disputes over the three islands of Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs, as well as the presence of foreign forces at their invitation.

Our relationship with Turkey is also not favorable, and European countries have grown somewhat distrustful of President Khatami, especially as he has retracted his previous statements, revealing his inability to pursue his objectives. This distrust is particularly pronounced with France, where our relations are deteriorating, and with the UK and Germany, which are also seeing a decline in relations due to the prosecution of participants in the Berlin Conference and the prosecution of Iranian Jews. Our situation with the US remains unchanged, with issues surrounding Palestine being attributed to us. Overall, the outlook is bleak, with little hope for success on the global stage.

During Iftar, we were guests of Mr. Ali Aghamohammadi, a member of the Expediency Council and the political deputy of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting. A number of reformists attended, including Sheikh Hadi Ghafari, who had recently visited the holy sites in Iraq. He reported on the dire economic and political situation in Iraq, mentioning that one Iraqi dinar trades for five Iranian rials.