TEHRAN (Bazaar) –Nader Entessar, Professor Emeritus of Political Science from university of South Alabama says that If Iran acts proactively and smartly, it can become a major player in Syria's post-war reconstruction.
Following is the full text of the Bazaar interview with Professor Entessar:
Bazaar: The UAE is normalizing its relations with Syria. Is the UAE looking to play an economic role in post-war Syria?
Entessar: At this time, it appears that the UAE is hedging its bets in Syria to see how events in Syria and the region evolve. The UAE's goal is to play both an economic role and a greater political role in the post-war reconstruction of Syria.
Bazaar: Some argue that given the start of diplomacy between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the UAE is also seeking to expand its relations with Iran by normalizing relations with Syria. What is your opinion?
Entessar: This is certainly a possibility. But the UAE may also be trying to undermine Iran's interests in Syria by portraying itself as a country with deep pockets that can provide the type of immediate financial benefits to Syria that Iran will not be able to offer.
Bazaar: What effects will Iran's talks with Saudi Arabia and the statement of the Emirati officials that they seek to expand relations with Iran have on Iran's trade relations with these two countries?
Entessar: Iran's trade relations with the UAE and Saudi Arabia are at two different levels. That is, the volume of Iran's trade with Saudi Arabia is negligible compared with that of Iran-UAE trade. Even during tense political periods, the UAE remained one of Iran's top trading partners. In an improved political climate in the region, there is a high likelihood that the volume of Iran-UAE trade will expand, but the impact of better Tehran-Riyadh relations will be felt more in political/strategic arenas than in trade relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Bazaar: One of the issues regarding the expansion of cooperation between Iran and the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council is the establishment of an economic union in the Persian Gulf region. Can this idea be realized?
Entessar: In the long term, establishing a Persian Gulf economic union is a worthy goal to pursue because it will be beneficial to the countries and peoples of the region. But I don't believe the necessary socio-political cohesion currently exists in the region to allow for the formation of an effective economic union. Even the Gulf Cooperation Council countries continue to experience fissures among themselves.
Bazaar: Given the current trend and the efforts of countries such as the UAE to enter the Syrian market, do you think Iran can play an effective role in the reconstruction of Syria?
Entessar: As I stated earlier, the advantage of the cash-rich UAE over Iran is its ability to infuse financial resources into the Syrian market. However, Iran possesses greater technical expertise and other similar capabilities than the UAE has in economic and sociopolitical reconstruction fields. If Iran acts proactively and smartly, it can become a major player in Syria's post-war reconstruction.
نظر شما