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Age of empires has ended: Ahmadinejad

* Iranian president says US overwhelmed by economic, political crises

YEKATERINBURG: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Tuesday said the “age of empires” was over as he fired his latest salvo at Washington.

“The international capitalist order is retreating,” Ahmadinejad told a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). “It is absolutely obvious that the age of empires has ended and its revival will not take place Iraq is still occupied. There is no order in Afghanistan. The Palestinian problem is unsolved,” he said. “America is overwhelmed by economic and political crises and there is no hope in their decisions.

“The allies of the United States are also not in a position to wrestle with these problems.” Pointing to the economic crisis, Ahmadinejad said that “drastic changes are an unavoidable necessity” and attacked the “damage caused by international capitalism.” The Iranian president is attending the summit in Iran’s capacity as an observer to the organisation and Tehran has in the past expressed interest in becoming a fully-fledged member.

Ahmadinejad said Iran was ready to cooperate with the SCO “more than before,” proposing that the member countries establish a joint bank and also set up political and economic committees. “Taking collective decisions on politics, economics and culture will facilitate stabilisation of the situation in all the countries,” the president said, flanked by his Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki.

Ahmadinejad said the organisation “can really play a leading role in the resolution of the economic and difficult political conflicts, open a new path for changes in all spheres and play an important role in global leadership.”

The United States urged Iran on Monday to agree to a meeting with the six key nations trying to ensure that its nuclear programme is peaceful in which the US will be “a full participant.” US deputy ambassador Rosemary DiCarlo told the UN Security Council that Iran has not responded to the request from the five permanent council members - the US, Russia, China, Britain and France - and Germany for new talks, which would be the first international discussion on Iran’s nuclear programme since President Barack Obama took office in January.

“The United States remains committed to direct diplomacy with Iran to resolve issues of concern to the international community and will engage on the basis of mutual respect,” DiCarlo said “The United States will be a full participant in these discussions and we continue to urge Iran to accept this invitation.” he added. agencies

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