Korea: Irans Solid Asian Partner

The following is an article the Iranian Embassy in Seoul contributed to mark the National Day of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which falls on Feb. 11.

Iran, formerly known as Persia, is a vast country situated at the heart of the Middle East.

The name Persia, deriving from the word Fars, a province located in southeastern Iran, stands for a vast empire which ruled over an enormous territory, extending from the highlands of Iran to Central Asia.

Iran is home to one of the world's oldest major continuous civilizations. And the history of Iran spans more than 7,000 years.

Archeological findings indicate that people lived in various parts of Iran as long as 15,000 years ago.

But, the history of human life in Iran, prior to 7,000 years ago is somewhat unclear and requires a great deal more exploration, excavation and study -- all of which are presently under way.

The Persian civilization and its culture undoubtedly marked an important epoch in the history of the world.

Some scholars, however, are unearthing new information that suggests the first human civilization actually originated from what is now present day Iran.

Through the years, Iran's culture has influenced different parts of the globe, from the Nile River to the heart of Europe.

A scholar of Persian art, A.U. Pope, wrote, ``In the light of the data recently discovered, it has been proven that agricultural and perhaps the crafts attached to it, i.e. pottery making and weaving, originated in the Iranian plateau.

From several essential points, the civilization in this area began 500 years before Egypt, 1,000 years before India and 2,000 years before China.’’

A historian on Iranian civilization, E.E. Herzfeld, wrote, ``There is strong circumstantial support for the hypothesis that not only the Caspians of the early fourth and fifth millennia were agriculturists, but even that they were the original agriculturists, and that the knowledge of agriculture spread from the Caspian plateau over the three adjoining deltas: the Indus, the Syr and Amu-Darya, and the Tigris and Euphrates.’’

It is still too soon to fully understand the significance of these new discoveries but it is not too far from reality to claim that the birth of civilization started in Iran.

The Sassanid dynasty amassed wealth through trade activity along the Silk Road, and this exchange of cultural materials aided the spread of Persian art and culture.

The Persian influence disseminated through Central Asia and China and along the aforementioned trade route, into the Silla Kingdom on the Korean peninsula.

After being run by different dynasties throughout the centuries, Iran was reunited as an independent state in 1501 by the Safavid dynasty who promoted Shiite Islam as the official religion in Iran, marking a turning point in the history of Islam.

Since the Islamic revolution in 1979, Iran has officially become an Islamic republic.

Despite ethnic diversity, Iran is rather homogenous in a religious and cultural sense. Iran is a multicultural society with a unique historical and Islamic background which traces its roots to the ancient Persians.

The National Day of the Islamic Republic of Iran falls on Feb. 11.

This year, the government and people of Iran are celebrating the 31st National Day with a strong determination to work zealously for the progress and prosperity of their beloved homeland.

Thirty-one years ago, the world witnessed the victory of the Islamic Revolution, which put an end to the dictatorial regime of the Shah in Iran.

It materialized as a result of wise leadership from the Imam Khomeini and the strong determination of the absolute majority of the Iranian people to get rid of the said regime.

This was one of the biggest regional and international events of the late years in the past century which was followed by great social and political changes in Iran.

Shortly after the revolution, a referendum was held to determine the type of government to rule the country; the outcome of which was the Islamic Republic voted for by 98 percent of the people who participated in the referendum.

So far, 31 elections have been held in the country, each of which was indicative of the scope of people’s participation in determining their destiny.

Foreign Policy and Diplomatic Affairs

The Islamic Republic of Iran is like a bridge in the heart of the region linking the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf, as well as east and west Asia together.

Therefore, its security and stability can have an undeniable effect on the entire Middle East region and west Asia.

That’s why peaceful coexistence, promotion of bilateral relations and extensive regional and international cooperation are seriously pursued in Iran's foreign policy.

To this end, the strategic decision adopted by the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) to defuse regional crises in the face of the military attack by the United States on Afghanistan and Iraq, is a major foreign policy achievement of Iran.

Iran has established constructive and active relations with most countries around the world in different continents and is an active member of various international and regional institutions: United Nations, Organization of Islamic Conference, Non- Aligned Movement, ADC, Shanghai Group, D8 and ECO among others.

During the past 31 years, the IRI, although faced with many challenges, made its way to economic progress especially in the energy sector and natural resources benefiting from foreign direct investment (FDI) as well as domestic resources.

In this connection, to facilitate FDI, the newly ratified bill by the parliament has been put into effect providing opportunities for foreign investors to enter into areas, such as infrastructure development, industrial joint venture partnership, oil and gas field development, agriculture and even the service sector.

Iran with its unique geographical position next to the Middle East , Persian Gulf, Central Asia and Europe offers a prime location for Korean companies to manufacture consumer and other goods not only for Iran's own 72 million consumers but also as a regional manufacturing hub for nearby countries.

Since 1979 and after the establishment of the Islamic Republic, Iran's foreign policy attached great importance to the extension of more profound relations with the East Asian countries, in particular with Northeast Asian countries.

The bilateral relations between Iran and Korea is one of the most stable and solid partners in Northeast Asia, marked by the exchange of high-level official visits as well as by the frequent exchange of delegations in the private sector between the two countries and increasing mutual academic and research contacts.

With Iran and Korea both being dynamic countries in their respective regions, it is strongly believed that the prospects for the further development of fruitful bilateral relations are bright and promising.

The current direct investment from Korea is considered little but taking into account the fact that trade and investment, especially in oil-related items, has been growing day by day Iran is seeking more investors from Korea.

Guided by their common commitment to international and regional peace and security and coupled with growing economic interaction, the two countries will continue to forge closer ties and cooperation in diverse fields in the upcoming years.