Iranian President Rouhani: Tehran Eyes Close Economic Ties with Europe

In a Tuesday meeting with Belgium’s new ambassador to Tehran, President Rouhani said Iran is ready to enhance economic, trade and political relations with the European Union members, including with Belgium.

“We believe that certain parties that are opposed to deep relations between Iran and the European Union have hatched plots to damage such good relations, but they should not be allowed to carry out their plots,” President Rouhani added.

He also expressed the hope that Iran and the EU would strengthen economic interaction and work closer together on the regional issues and protection of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

For her part, the Belgian envoy Veronique Petit described the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) as a major international achievement, pledging that Brussels would make every effort to protect the nuclear deal.

In a separate meeting, President Rouhani and new ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Tehran Samir Veladzic discussed the ways to promote Tehran-Sarajevo bilateral and regional cooperation.

Making a reference to the age-old and friendly relations between the two countries, President Rouhani said Iran is ready to expand political, economic, financial and cultural relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In August, the European Union Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini said the EU was encouraging enterprises to increase their business with Iran.

The EU said in late September that its members would set up a payment system to allow oil companies and businesses to continue trading with Iran in a bid to evade sanctions after the US withdrew from the 2015 nuclear agreement between Tehran and world powers.

The countries said in a statement that they were determined "to protect the freedom of their economic operators to pursue legitimate business with Iran."