Iran, EU hold high-level political dialogue in Brussels
Iran and the European Union have held the fourth meeting of the high-level political dialogue in the Belgian capital, Brussels.
According to a press release issued on Tuesday by the official website of the European Union, the meeting was co-chaired by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araqchi and Secretary General of the European External Action Service (EEAS) Helga Maria Schmid on Monday.
It added that the meeting was part of the regular exchanges between Iran and the 28-nation bloc.
The agenda focused on bilateral issues such as trade, energy, transport, the environment, migration, humanitarian assistance, drug policy, education, culture and research as well as counter-terrorism and regional developments, notably Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon and Afghanistan, the press release said.
According to the official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Araqchi stressed the importance of preserving the multilateral nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), to promote regional and international peace and security.
He said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) once again reaffirmed the Islamic Republic's full commitment to its undertakings under the nuclear deal.
In its latest report on November 12, the UN nuclear agency said Iran has continued to implement all its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal it signed with major global powers even as the United States re-imposed fresh sanctions against Tehran.
Araqchi further urged acceleration in the effective implementation of the JCPOA by its remaining signatories, particularly the European side, after the illegal US withdrawal from the agreement.
"Any procrastination in the fulfillment of the obligations will pose serious challenges to this important diplomatic achievement for the international community and the Islamic Republic of Iran will make a decision based on its independence and interests in that case," the senior Iranian diplomat pointed out.
SS
