Nournews: Abbas Araghchi, speaking on Oct. 22 at the closing ceremony of the Second Regional Conference on Provincial Diplomacy in the Northeastern Zone held at Pardisan Hotel in Mashhad, stated: “This afternoon, we had a fruitful meeting within the framework of the Imam Reza (AS) Working Group. The aim of this group is to help the Ministry of Foreign Affairs facilitate pilgrimage and the arrival of visitors from different countries. Sessions were also held to discuss the internationalization of Mashhad.”

He added: “The fact that Mr. Qalibaf personally attended this event is of great value to us. Provincial diplomacy has now become an essential principle in our foreign policy. It has moved beyond being an idea and is now a concrete reality. Listening to the reports of the roundtables, I realized how detailed the discussions were and that clear guidelines have been developed — most of which concern the Ministry of Foreign Affairs itself. The fact that we are being held accountable is, to me, a promising sign.”

The Foreign Minister noted that provincial diplomacy has received the attention and support of both the Supreme Leader and the President. “The Speaker of Parliament has also made important remarks in this regard. Another notable point is that in none of the discussions or panels was there mention of sanctions or snapback mechanisms — showing the maturity of our public and private sectors, which have come to understand that in the face of sanctions, we must rely on our own capacities. We can only complain about sanctions once we have fully utilized our domestic capacities — but the fact is, we still haven’t.”

Araghchi emphasized: “We must reform our internal regulations and excessive restrictions, and transform customs offices from places of delay into corridors of transit. The capacities in our surrounding region are enormous. Based on my familiarity with neighboring countries, I believe we are using less than 50 percent of their potential. Pakistan, for instance, has tremendous capacity. While many of the food and agricultural products we need are produced there, we import them from Brazil instead.”

He continued: “There are vast unused potentials. Every day, the need for provincial diplomacy becomes more evident, and the necessity to use its capacities grows stronger. Our provinces possess resources that must be activated, and we must continue to strengthen provincial diplomacy with full determination.”

The Foreign Minister added: “Last night, I emphasized to our ambassadors that the Foreign Ministry must help meet the needs of the private sector. A while ago, I made a three-hour trip to Tajikistan solely to support a multimillion-dollar project so that an Iranian private company could win the tender. We consider it our duty to support the private sector.”

Araghchi: The Foreign Ministry’s key mission is to neutralize the impact of sanctions

Araghchi stressed that the key mission of the Foreign Ministry is the “neutralization and counteraction of sanctions” and “meeting the country’s essential needs.”

Speaking at the press conference following the closing ceremony of the Second Regional Conference on Provincial Diplomacy, Araghchi stated: “The recommendations will be thoroughly reviewed and compiled into directives that will be communicated to embassies and provincial administrations through the government, ensuring more effective and closer regional cooperation.”

He added: “The country’s weaknesses do not solely stem from sanctions or external pressures — though these undoubtedly bring harm and cost. However, we can only criticize sanctions once we have fully utilized all our domestic resources.”

Araghchi clarified: “This does not mean that the Foreign Ministry will neglect its mission to lift sanctions. But alongside that, an even more important mission exists — namely, the neutralization of sanctions and the provision of the country’s needs.”

Deputy Foreign Minister: Provincial diplomacy is the executive arm of national foreign policy

Vahid Jalalzadeh, Deputy Minister for Consular Affairs, Parliament, and Iranian Expatriates, stated: “Foreign policy is a sovereign function, but provincial diplomacy is a smart mechanism for forming the executive arms of foreign policy.”

He added: “In this framework, provinces — by leveraging their environmental advantages and their deep understanding of local contexts — can manage their economic, cultural, and social relations with neighboring regions more dynamically, quickly, and tangibly, while remaining aligned with national policies and strategies.”

Jalalzadeh explained that provincial diplomacy, as a complementary link to national diplomacy, has long been among the expectations of the Supreme Leader, and that its executive structure has now been implemented under the current administration.

According to the Foreign Ministry, each provincial diplomacy headquarters — in coordination with relevant agencies — is responsible for pursuing specific missions, with clearly defined duties.

The deputy minister added that each province’s roadmap for provincial diplomacy should be developed based on regional development planning, with short-, medium-, and long-term objectives.

“These objectives,” he continued, “are defined according to measurable indicators, particularly in cross-border trade and regional exchanges, and will be supported by legal frameworks to ensure their implementation.”

The Second Provincial Diplomacy Conference was held on October 21, featuring two expert panels: “Provincial Economic Cooperation, Trade, Investment, and Free Zones” and “Linking National and Regional Economies through Modern and Knowledge-Based Technologies.”

The event was attended by 12 Iranian ambassadors to neighboring countries, national and provincial chambers of commerce officials, governors of the three Khorasan provinces (Razavi, North, and South), and deputy ministers of foreign affairs.

The two-day conference aimed to showcase the capabilities of northeastern provinces; discuss the supply of essential goods and local needs through neighboring countries; explore strategies for expanding trade and economic cooperation under current conditions; and identify ways to enhance regional and cross-border relations with neighboring states.