The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire on Wednesday night, while both sides mark it as their victory. The agreement was reacted to by several countries and international organizations that welcome it, at the same time, however, they draw attention to the need for a permanent solution to the conflict. TASR informs about it according to the report of the AFP agency.
- The United States and Iran have reached a two-week ceasefire that both sides are celebrating.
- UN Secretary General António Guterres calls for a lasting and comprehensive peace.
- Australia warns of the growing economic impact of the conflict and calls for the protection of civilians.
- New Zealand warns that much work remains to achieve lasting peace.
- Japan and Iraq are calling for de-escalation of tensions and serious sustainable dialogue between the parties.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) António Guterres welcomed the announced ceasefire in the Middle East and called on all parties to respect international law and the terms of the agreement. “Secretary-General Welcomes Announcement of Two-Week U.S.-Iran Ceasefire,” his spokesman said. At the same time, he called for steps that will lead to “permanent and comprehensive peace in the region”.
Australia warned that the longer the conflict lasts, the more significant its impact on the global economy and human lives will be. “Australia wishes for the ceasefire to be observed and for the conflict to be resolved,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s office said in a statement. At the same time, he called on all parties to observe international humanitarian law and protect the lives of civilians.
While New Zealand welcomed the ceasefire, it stressed that a significant amount of work still needed to be done to ensure lasting peace. “While this is encouraging news, there is still much work to be done in the coming days,” said a spokesman for Secretary of State Winston Peters.
Japan has called for concrete steps to ease tensions, including ensuring safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 70 percent of Japan’s oil imports passed before the war. “The most important thing is to take concrete steps to de-escalate the situation,” said government spokesman Minoru Kihara. According to him, Tokyo hopes that a peace agreement will be reached through diplomacy and as soon as possible.
Iraq also praised the agreement and called for “serious and sustained dialogue” between the US and Iran, which would address the root causes of the conflict and strengthen mutual trust between the two sides.
