Iran's 12th parliament was inaugurated on Monday in the Iranian capital of Tehran.
During the inauguration ceremony, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, the former chairman for the Committee for Foreign Policy and National Security of the parliament, was appointed the temporary speaker. The official speaker is set to be elected in the coming days.
Boroujerdi said in his speech that the new parliament will fully support the government in developing the country's economy, and he also expounded the diplomatic principles of the new parliament.
"Strengthening relations with other countries on the basis of mutual respect to protect Iran's national interests is the guiding principle of our foreign policy. Developing relations with neighboring countries should be given priority, while combating American hegemonism remains a fundamental principle of our foreign policy," Boroujerdi said in his speech.
Iran's acting President Mohammad Mokhber also addressed the country's new parliament. He praised late President Ebrahim Raisi's time in office, listing some of his achievements since taking office in August 2021. He emphasized that according to the instructions of Iran's Supreme Leader, despite the recent loss of important personnel in Iran, all the work of the country has not been delayed. The new Assembly of Experts and parliament have carried out all their work as scheduled, and national governance has not been affected or damaged.
The parliament's 290 newly-elected members were chosen through two rounds of elections held on March 1 and May 10. These members are set to serve a four-year term in the legislative body.
Iran’s new parliament convenes in Tehran
A Chinese envoy stressed the need for global cooperation to promote international nuclear arms control efforts amid unprecedented and formidable challenges faced by the international nuclear disarmament process, while addressing a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meeting on nuclear weapons on Monday.
During the thematic debate on nuclear weapons at the 79th session of the UNGA, Shen Jian, Chinese Ambassador for Disarmament Affairs, stated that the international nuclear disarmament process is encountering unparalleled challenges stemming from the lack of strategic mutual trust among major powers, escalating geopolitical tensions, and prolonged regional conflicts.
Therefore, there is a need for all countries to jointly work towards reducing nuclear risks, advancing nuclear disarmament, and preventing nuclear proliferation, Shen noted.
According to the Chinese envoy, it is necessary to deescalate regional tensions and end hostilities promptly, reduce the role of nuclear weapons in national security policies, cease the provocative deployment of strategic forces to the forefront, adhere to a practical and feasible path of nuclear disarmament, maintain an objective and rational stance on nuclear transparency issues, and promote international efforts to prevent nuclear proliferation.
"Both the symptoms and root causes of the prominent risks and challenges in the nuclear field should be addressed. Being obsessed with the Cold War mentality, hyping up major power competition, and inciting bloc confrontation will only lead the international nuclear arms control process into a dead end. The international community should uphold the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security, adhere to true multilateralism, respect each other's legitimate security concerns, and work together to promote the international nuclear arms control process," Shen said.
As the current coordinator of the cooperation mechanism of the five nuclear-weapon states, China hosted an expert-level meeting in New York on October 7 to start substantive work during its tenure. China will also continue its efforts to enhance dialogue and cooperation among the five nuclear-weapon states, Shen said.
China calls for global efforts to promote int'l nuclear arms control process
