Obama: Washington's offer of dialogue with Iran still stands

15:11 20/03/2010 » Politics

Obama: Washington's offer of dialogue with Iran still stands

US President Barack Obama has said that Washington's offer of dialogue with Iran still stands, in his latest New Year message to the Iranian people, foreign media reported.

The White House released the video late Friday, timing it, as it did last year, to coincide with Nowruz, a 12-day holiday celebrating the arrival of spring and the beginning of the new year on the Persian calendar. The video comes as the United States has hit a rough patch in its relationships in the region, particularly with Israel.

Obama has signaled a willingness to speak directly with Iran about its nuclear program and hostility toward Israel, a key U.S. ally.

At his inauguration last year, the president said his administration would reach out to rival states, declaring "we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist."

He said the Iranian government had "chosen to isolate itself" but that the US still wanted justice and dignity for Iranians, and less internet censorship.

"Our offer of comprehensive diplomatic contacts and dialogue stands," Obama said in the video.

"Over the course of the last year, it is the Iranian government that has chosen to isolate itself, and to choose a self-defeating focus on the past over a commitment to build a better future," Mr Obama highlighted.

"Even as we continue to have differences with the Iranian government, we will sustain our commitment to a more hopeful future for the Iranian people," he said.

The United States has not had formal diplomatic relations with Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
 

Source: Panorama.am

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