Iranian deputy FM says he had ‘constructive’ talks in European visit

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Baqeri Kani, who is also the country’s top negotiator in the Vienna talks on the revival of the JCPOA, said he had constructive talks with European officials during his visits to France, Germany, Britain and Spain.

According to Tasnim news agency, he said effective removal of sanctions on Iran was among major topics of his discussions during the talks.

“During visits to (France, Germany, Britain and Spain) I had serious & constructive discussions on bilateral, regional & int’l issues incl. upcoming negotiations. Also has several interviews‌ w/ media,” he wrote in a post on Twitter on Friday.

“Effective removal of unlawful sanctions & importance of assurances on non-repetition was emphasized,” he added.

Earlier on Friday, Iran’s Foreign Minister said the Islamic Republic and the remaining parties to the 2015 nuclear deal can reach a “good agreement in a short time” only in case of a “serious and positive” approach to the talks planned to start in the Austrian capital of Vienna later this month.

“The Islamic Republic has no intention to be locked in the stalemate remaining from the previous negotiations…I believe that if the opposite sides enter in the Vienna (talks) with a serious and positive approach, it will be possible to achieve a good agreement in a short time,” Hossein Amirabdollahian said in a post on Instagram.

The top Iranian diplomat said it was necessary to once again outline Iran’s stance and views about the sanctions-removal talks in Vienna as the date of the negotiations has been finalized. He noted that he held “detailed and separate” phone talks with the foreign ministers of the P4+1 group of countries – China, Russia, Britain, Germany and France – last week and emphasized that the Islamic Republic would pursue a result-oriented approach to the talks and is “determined to achieve a 'good agreement'.”

Amirabdollahian emphasized that achieving a good agreement calls for the “effective and verifiable removal of sanctions and the return of the opposite sides to their full obligations” as per the nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

He said Washington’s behavior, including in imposing new sanctions against Iran, has made the provision of its “objective guarantees” an unavoidable necessity.

Amirabdollahian further said, “As I have repeatedly emphasized, the administration of the Islamic Republic of Iran will continue the policy on the expansion of balanced ties with countries based on mutual respect and common interests with seriousness and is determined not to tie the improvement of bilateral and multilateral economic cooperation to the issue of the JCPOA.”

ME