Iran, China Weigh Plans to Implement Comprehensive Cooperation Deal

In a Friday telephone conversation with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian put special emphasis on the need to implement the comprehensive 25-year cooperation program.

He praised China's valuable support in providing the coronavirus vaccine needed by the Iran.

The Iranian foreign minister also discussed the latest status of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with his Chinese counterpart.

For his part, Wang Yi stressed Beijing's stance on the need for all JCPOA parties to resume honoring their obligations. He also praised the position of the Islamic Republic of Iran in this regard, the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s website reported.

The top Chinese diplomat then welcomed the beginning of talks between Iran and the European side, saying he had instructed his colleagues to continue close consultations in this regard with their counterparts in the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Wang expressed Beijing's readiness to implement the 25-year cooperation document, highlighting China’s commitment to continuing cooperation with Tehran to contain the coronavirus outbreak and providing any volume of the required vaccine for as long as Tehran requests.

He also stressed that the leaders of the two countries are determined to fully expand bilateral relations, and therefore Beijing, just as in the past, will continue to cooperate and consult with the Islamic Republic of Iran at all levels, including mutual cooperation in regional and international organizations.

Amirabdollahian described relations between the two countries as strategic, emphasizing Tehran's serious efforts to follow up on the agreements reached between President Xi Jinping and President Ebrahim Raisi in a recent telephone conversation, as well as the full implementation of the 25-year cooperation document.

On the beginning of talks between Iran and the European Union, which took place a day before at the level of deputy foreign minister and deputy secretary general and political director of the European External Action Service, the Iranian foreign minister explained the framework of the talks and the definite policy of Iran which is the effective and complete removal of unilateral and illegal sanctions imposed by the US.

Amirabdollahian also criticized the inaction of the three European countries, saying the talks have started in a positive and constructive direction, which was confirmed by both sides at the end of the Thursday’s talks, and therefore it was agreed that the negotiations will continue at the same level in Brussels in the next two weeks.