Despite the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran expiring last week, the window for further negotiations between Washington and Tehran toward a final deal "is not closed", Pakistan's envoy to the United Nations said.
尽管美国和伊朗之间的谅解备忘录已于上周到期，但巴基斯坦驻联合国大使表示，华盛顿与德黑兰之间为进一步达成最终协议而进行谈判的窗口“并未关闭”。
Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan's permanent representative to the UN, said that Pakistan is "still very committed" to facilitating dialogue between the two sides.
巴基斯坦常驻联合国代表阿西姆·伊夫蒂哈尔·艾哈迈德表示，巴基斯坦“仍然非常致力于”促进双方对话。
"Our leadership is in touch with both sides. We are also working closely. We continue to work closely with the other friends," Ahmad told China Daily in an exclusive interview.
艾哈迈德在接受《中国日报》独家专访时表示：“我们的领导层与双方保持接触。我们也在密切合作，并继续与其他友好国家密切协作。”
He said the expired Islamabad MoU still provides a framework for the US and Iran "to engage and to hold further negotiations" toward "a conclusive and comprehensive settlement, or a final deal".
他表示，已到期的伊斯兰堡谅解备忘录仍为美伊双方“接触并举行进一步谈判”提供了框架，以达成“最终和全面的解决方案，即最终协议”。
However, Ahmad said it remains unclear on how the conflict will eventually end and what impact it could have on the region.
不过，艾哈迈德表示，目前尚不清楚这场冲突将如何结束，以及可能对该地区产生何种影响。
"I think the overall situation is still in flux," he said. He noted that countries in the region are assessing "how this will evolve in the future and what kind of steps they need to take" to ensure long-term peace and stability, amid discussions over possible changes to regional security arrangements and political alignments.
“我认为总体局势仍在变化之中，”他说。他指出，该地区国家正在评估“这将如何演变，以及他们需要采取何种措施”以确保长期和平与稳定，同时也在讨论地区安全安排和政治联盟可能发生的变化。
On Tuesday, Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said that Pakistan and Iran made "significant progress" in talks seeking to end the US-Israeli operations against Iran and find a path to peace, according to a Reuters report.
据路透社报道，巴基斯坦内政部长穆赫辛·纳克维周二表示，巴基斯坦与伊朗在寻求结束美以对伊军事行动并找到和平路径的会谈中取得了“重大进展”。
Talks between the two sides focused on measures to prevent further escalation, reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and an expedited termination of the conflict, Reuters reported, citing a Pakistani military statement.
路透社援引巴基斯坦军方声明报道称，双方会谈重点讨论了防止局势进一步升级、重新开放霍尔木兹海峡以及加速结束冲突的措施。
Given the prolonged uncertainty resulting from the US-Iran conflict, regional security arrangements are already beginning to shift. Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan signed the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, under which an armed attack on one member is considered an attack on all three.
鉴于美伊冲突带来的长期不确定性，地区安全安排已开始发生变化。本月初，沙特阿拉伯、土耳其和巴基斯坦签署了《麦加联合防御协议》，规定对任一成员国的武装攻击将被视为对三国的攻击。
"Our objective is to ensure that we move forward in a way that will guarantee peace and stability for the longer term in the Middle East," Ahmad said.
“我们的目标是确保我们以能够保障中东长期和平与稳定的方式向前推进，”艾哈迈德说。
The diplomatic efforts surrounding the US-Iran crisis have also raised questions about the UN's role, as some of the most consequential negotiations over current international conflicts are increasingly taking place outside the UN and the Security Council.
围绕美伊危机的外交努力也引发了对联合国作用的质疑，因为当前一些最重要的国际冲突谈判越来越多地在联合国和安理会框架之外进行。
Ahmad said that such diplomacy does not necessarily diminish the UN's role.
艾哈迈德表示，此类外交并不一定会削弱联合国的作用。
"If you look back in history, there are several situations in which the UN was not the primary actor," he said, adding that negotiations conducted elsewhere have often eventually been brought back to the UN. "It doesn't mean that the UN's role is sidelined or undermined," he said.
“回顾历史，有很多情况下联合国并非主要行动方，”他说，并补充道，在其他地方进行的谈判往往最终会被带回联合国。“这并不意味着联合国的作用被边缘化或削弱，”他说。
He cited the Gaza conflict as a recent example. Negotiations took place outside the UN Security Council before being brought back to the body to give it "the stamp of authority and credibility".
他以最近的加沙冲突为例。谈判在联合国安理会之外进行，然后被带回安理会，以赋予其“权威性和可信度的印记”。
The UN Security Council in November voted and adopted a resolution endorsing US President Donald Trump's peace plan and establishing the Board of Peace as a transitional administration for Gaza.
去年11月，联合国安理会投票通过了一项决议，支持美国总统唐纳德·特朗普的和平计划，并设立和平委员会作为加沙的过渡管理机构。
According to Ahmad, the same principle would apply to a US-Iran agreement. Once a comprehensive and conclusive final deal is agreed, it would be brought to the UN Security Council for approval and for the establishment of a mechanism to oversee its implementation, he said.
据艾哈迈德称，同样的原则也适用于美伊协议。他表示，一旦达成全面和最终的协议，将提交联合国安理会批准，并建立监督机制以确保协议执行。
"The role of the Security Council as the principal organ for maintaining international peace and security remains important," he said.
“安理会作为维护国际和平与安全的主要机构，其作用仍然重要，”他说。
Long-running conflicts around the world also continue to test the UN's ability to prevent and resolve crises.
世界各地的长期冲突也在持续考验联合国预防和解决危机的能力。
Ahmad said that resolving these long-running conflicts requires "a comprehensive approach from conflict prevention to resolution", including UN peacekeeping.
艾哈迈德表示，解决这些长期冲突需要“从预防冲突到解决冲突的全面方法”，包括联合国维和行动。
There is a strong view among the wider UN membership that peace and security cannot be considered separately from development, he said.
他表示，联合国广大会员国中有一种强烈观点认为，和平与安全不能与发展分开考虑。
For developing countries, Ahmad added, the UN should focus on prioritizing the concerns and interests of those countries.
艾哈迈德补充说，对发展中国家而言，联合国应优先关注这些国家的关切和利益。
"As part of the reform and improving efficiencies, we want to ensure that the UN will continue to prioritize the concerns and the interests of developing countries," he said. "That means both peace and security, addressing the conflicts and advancing the development objectives."
“作为改革和提高效率的一部分，我们希望确保联合国将继续优先考虑发展中国家的关切和利益，”他说。“这意味着和平与安全、解决冲突和推进发展目标。”
conclusive /kənˈkluːsɪv/最终的
comprehensive /ˌkɒmprɪˈhensɪv/全面的
in flux /ɪn flʌks/在变化中
alignment /əˈlaɪnmənt/联盟
expedited /ˈekspədaɪtɪd/加速的
prolonged /prəˈlɒŋd/长期的
sidelined /ˈsaɪdlaɪnd/被边缘化的
undermined /ˌʌndəˈmaɪnd/被削弱
stamp of authority /stæmp əv ɔːˈθɒr
