Russia is a Fair Weather Friend to Iran

Freedom’s Zone has publised an interesting translation of an interview with Dr. Elaheh Kulai, who was formerly one of just 11 female MPs in Iran, on the state of relations between Iran and Russia. The interview was first published in the Iranian exile Persian newspaper Rooz. bushehr.jpg Busheher Nuclear Power Plant project. Photo: AFP

Q: In other words you do not regard Russia as a friend of Iran? A: I do not believe that any nation is our permanent friend, nor do I believe that any nation is our permanent enemy. The rule in international relations is that whatever is permanent for our country is whatever is really in their interest. Therefore no nation, not Russia, not America, not Europe, not China nor any other nation can be our permanent friend, nor can they be our permanent enemy. Our permanent friend is our interests, which we must properly identify. Likewise, we have no permanent enemies and in our relations with other nations our interests can juxtapose and interpenetrate. Q: In your view, in evaluating relations between Russia and Iran over the last 100 years, were these relations mostly damaging or mostly beneficial to Iran? A: In my view this issue should be seen from the Russian point of view. Whenever leaders in Iran acted correctly, relations with Russia benefited us. We must ask how to order our relations with Russia. Russia is a large neighbor at our northern borders by the Caspian Sea. We can have various ties with the Russian society, policy, culture and economy that are beneficial to us. One must not look at the issues as black and white or as all or nothing, but we must not lean on Russia or think that Russia will defend our interest. Russia is a country like no other country in the world. It is essential and constructive for us to develop relations with Russia, and the usefulness of these relations is undeniable. However in my view it would be unrealistic for us to count on Russia in conditions of intensifying conflict with the West.

Complete interview here. In other news, it seems that 48% of Germans think that America is more dangerous than Iran.