Indonesian Minister hails Iran's resistance against 'arrogant' powers

Indonesian Minister of Religious Affairs Suryadharma Ali praised the resistance shown by the Iranian nation against arrogant powers and their illegal demands. Speaking at a meeting with Iran's Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Seyed Mohammad Hosseini on Friday, the Indonesian minister stated that Iran's reaction to European states' decision to sanction Iranian oil and Tehran's firm position about cutting oil imports to the EU states showed Iranian officials' commitment to resist hegemonic powers' illegal demands. Indonesian nation is committed to stand beside Iranian nation against world arrogant powers, he added. During the meeting, Hosseini declared Islamic Republic's support for the oppressed people of the world as a religious task, adding that the Muslim world is in a historical situation and it should care about the enemies' plots. "Peoples in Muslim nations have been awakened and Muslims' need to be united in this critical situation to disappoint their enemies who provoke division among them," the Iranian minister underscored. He also invited the Indonesian minister to pay a visit to Iran in the near future. Late in February, Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty M. Natalegawa in a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Ali Akbar Salehi underscored the importance of the expansion of his country's ties with Iran, and called for the development of Tehran-Jakarta relations in line with the two nations' common interests. During the meeting which was held on the sidelines of the 19th meeting of UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, the two top diplomats discussed the latest developments in the relations between the two countries in different fields. Iranian and Indonesian officials have on many occasions stressed their resolve to expand bilateral relations and mutual cooperation in different fields.