Analysis: Rouhani’s visit to New York will be brief but eventful
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani is due to depart for New York to attend the 72nd Session of the UN General Assembly. Acceding to the official statement, Rouhani’s visit to New York will be brief but eventful, Armenian analyst said in a Facebook post.
Yerevan-based expert on Iranian studies, Armen Israyelyan noted that the Iranian presidents have successfully used the UN tribunal to present the priorities of Iran’s foreign policy, as well as to make new proposals to the international community. Meantime, such important meetings have proven themselves as good opportunities for Iran’s presidents to hold informal meetings with the heads of their rival states.
The expert in particular pointed to the fact that it was in New York in September 2013 when Barack Obama and Hassan Rouhani held a historic phone call – the first direct talks between American and Iranian leaders since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, during which the sides reached an agreement over Iran's nuclear program.
"Given the U.S.-Iran tensions and the threats to the Iran nuclear deal, the UN General Assembly’s session is a good chance for the two states to clarify their stances and to relax the observed tensions," he said.