Dispense with Idealistic Diplomacy

The Islamic Republic of Iran’s foreign diplomacy revolves around dignity, wisdom and expedience and we [as reformists] approve them as our diplomatic principles.

Our national interests are what we should consider. And while safeguarding our independence and dignity, we expect the next president to engage with the global community (except for one case [Israel]) to put the country on the track of progress.

This engagement is mutual in nature. While we need the world to emerge from isolation, to move towards progress and to create a bright future of our youth, they will definitely need us, thus their doubts to impose further sanctions on our country or not, to improve bilateral ties or not. The world also needs us: culturally, economically, socially and politically.

As I said, we also need them, maybe even more. Our cultural and academic needs seem undeniable if you just look the wave of Iranian youth immigrating to other countries –especially the United States- for education. We also need to create a situation that encourages the youth to come back.

As an Iranian, and as an Iranian mother, I live with these concerns and I want to know that if our younger generation is leaving the country, we build the country in a way, and we bring it out of isolation in a way, that tempts them to return.

Realism in foreign diplomacy is another issue. There is no more room for idealism. Our utopian rhetoric may remind us of the revolutionary period of 1970s and 1980s, but it doesn’t merit us with anything other than short-term reception. Such a tone will cause nothing but disadvantage for us in the long run.

Next point is that our foreign diplomacy should shift from an individual-centered model towards a group-centered one, that is, towards collective wisdom. Foreign diplomacy is strongly linked to the other pillars of our regime. When revolutionary, epic rhetoric that is better suited to poetry and fairy tales damages our relations with other countries, our economic ties will severe, our cultural exchange will weaken, and what comes after is poverty and corruption. So I believe that the next president should dispense from idealism. Idealism may bring you a short applaud, but its aftermath will last much longer.