Part 3 With reference to the Middle East and the Persian Gulf, both supported the realization of a "comprehensive, just, and lasting peace," which can be attained only by recognizing Palestinian rights, including the right of refugees to return to their homeland. The region they said, should be declared free of weapons of mass destruction.
Furthermore, they "emphasized that the security and stability of the Persian Gulf should be safeguarded by the countries in the region free from outside influence." This is a clear reference to the continuing presence of the British and U.S. military there.
Iran reiterated its adherence to a one-China policy, which was appreciated by Beijing. Both sides said they support "multipolarization," and expressed the "need to establish an equitable, just, fair, and reasonable new international political and economic order that is free of hegemony and power politics and is based one quality.
" They indicated their "readiness to work together for the establishment of such a new order." And, the two said that the international community should work for cooperation, and against "use or threat of force and imposition of economic sanctions to settle disputes between countries." This shared outlook was underscored by a meeting between Iranian Defense Minister Vice Adm. Ali Shamkhani and his Chinese counterpart, Gen. Chi Haotian, in which they expressed their concern, according to Shamkhani, about their "national independence in international decision-making." Dialog of Civilizations Perhaps the most significant aspect of the visit, was the philosophical meeting of the minds that occurred. In their joint communique, the two presidents placed special emphasis on the importance of engaging in the "dialog of civilizations," which the UN has endorsed for the year 2001, on the initiative of President Khatami.
They "agreed that China and Iran, two great ancient civilizations in Asia, should enhance exchanges and cooperation in the cultural, educational, and social areas, to develop and substantiate the dialog of civilizations.
" Furthermore, they "maintained that the Silk Road had laid a solid foundation for cultural exchanges between the ancient civilizations of Iran and China in the west and east of Asia, and that revitalization of the Silk Road would contribute significantly to consolidation and development of the cultural, art, tourist, and people-to-people exchanges and contacts between the two nations." The dialog of civilizations was also the subject of talks between Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Ataollah Mohajerani, and his Chinese counterpart, Sun Jizheng, on June 22. Mohajerani opened a three-day seminar on Persian language and literature at Beijing University, with 100 outstanding Chinese scholars of Persian.
In a gesture highlighting the importance placed by Iran on this cultural exchange, Khatami donated 10,000 books on Iranian studies, Persian literature, and Islamic studies, to the Beijing University library.
In addition, the Iranian national orchestra performed in Beijing and Shanghai, for the first time.
The dialog of civilizations has been the trademark of President Khatami's government, since he won a massive popular mandate in elections in 1997.
The basic concept, is that each nation should identify its greatest moment of cultural achievement, no matter how far back or how recent in history, and revive that tradition, as the means to shape its self-identity interrelating to comparable periods of cultural flowering in other cultures.
Ideally, each nation should strive to identify the history of contacts among great civilizations, and use such precedents, to redefine relations today, on the highest moral and cultural plane.
(To be contd.)