Rouhani calls for constructive interaction with US

World leaders are expected to lead in turning threats into opportunities, noted Iran Prez

Ahead of the next week's UN General Assembly, the new Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, has called for a "constructive interaction" with the United States, as the White House announced US President Barack Obama was willing to meet his Iranian counterpart in the Big Apple.

"As I depart for New York for the opening of the UN General Assembly, I urge my counterparts to seize the opportunity presented by Iran's recent election," Rouhani wrote in an exclusive op-ed in The Washington Post yesterday.

"I urge them to make the most of the mandate for prudent engagement that my people have given me and to respond genuinely to my government's efforts to engage in constructive dialogue.

"Most of all, I urge them to look beyond the pines and be brave enough to tell me what they see - if not for their national interests, then for the sake of their legacies, and our children and future generations," the Iranian President said.

Observing that in this changed world, international politics is no longer a zero-sum game but a multi-dimensional arena where cooperation and competition often occur simultaneously, he said, gone is the age of blood feuds.

World leaders are expected to lead in turning threats into opportunities, he noted.

Ruing that "unilateralism often continues to overshadow constructive approaches" the Iranian President said the unilateral approach, which glorifies brute force and breeds violence, is clearly incapable of solving issues we all face, such as terrorism and extremism.

The two countries have had no diplomatic relations since the 1979 Islamic revolution that overthrew the Western-backed Shah regime after massive countrywide protest.