Iran's President Hassan Rouhani called on Tuesday for more solidarity between Muslim countries and for them not to depend on"foreigners" for their development.
His comments come after Washington threatened to withdraw from a landmark deal between Tehran and world powers that lifted crippling sanctions in exchange for curbs to Iran's nuclear programme.
"Only non-dependence on foreigners and increased solidarity between Muslim countries will allow us to overcome the Islamic world's problems," Rouhani said.
"We should... count on our own capacities" to ensure"growth and development", he said at the opening in Tehran of a session of the parliamentary union of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
But"this does not mean we should seek isolation," he added.
Rouhani, a political moderate who secured the 2015 nuclear deal, has come under fire from ultra-conservatives who believe the accord benefits only the West.
The government has been trying to encourage European firms to do business with or invest in Iran.
On an international level,"we support constructive interaction on an equal footing... that leaves no room for exploitation, colonialism or interference in internal affairs", he said.
Source: qatar-tribune.com
