In a statement on Monday, Esmaeil Baqaei expressed regret over the United Arab Emirates’ insistence on misusing the presence of diplomatic delegations in the Arab country to advance territorial claims against Iran.
He condemned the repetition of the “unfounded and incorrect claim” concerning the Iranian islands of Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb in the final statement released at the end of the Chinese foreign minister’s trip to the UAE.
Baqaei emphasized that the three Iranian islands are integral and inseparable parts of Iran’s territorial domain, adding that any territorial claim over them is clearly contrary to the principle of respect for the territorial integrity of states and the norms of good neighborliness.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the UAE, the foreign minister of China paid a visit to the UAE on December 12 and 13. It said that during the visit, the Chinese side expressed support for what it called the efforts of the UAE to reach a peaceful solution to the dispute over the three Iranian islands through bilateral negotiations in accordance with the rules of international law, including the United Nations Charter.