Battling COVID-19 Requires Collective Action: Iran’s Deputy FM
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Seyed Abbas Araqchi stressed that confronting the coronavirus pandemic requires a concerted global effort.
“The coronavirus has spread not only in Iran, but also in almost all countries, and it needs a serious and collective move,” Araqchi said in a phone conversation with Thijs van der Plas, the director for political affairs at the Dutch Foreign Ministry on Wednesday.
“Today, in addition to this virus, Iran is facing the United States’ illegal and inhumane sanctions, which redouble the pressure on Iranian people,” he added.
“Iranian people are entitled to have access to their own financial resources to fight the disease and tackle its economic consequences,” Araqchi said, according to Foreign Ministry’s website.
“The United States’ unilateral and unfair sanctions against Iran are a gross breach of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, and the US should be answerable for that,” he went on to say.
The Dutch official, in turn, condoled with Iranian people over the coronavirus outbreak, saying it is an international responsibility to fight the pandemic.
He said his country remains committed to multilateralism in the world and helping international institutions to protect public health.
The diplomat also said the Netherlands continues to support the Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and pertinent mechanisms.
