Iran Seeking A Good Deal with Goodwill, Active Initiatives: FM
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Foreign Minister said the country is after a good deal in the ongoing talks on the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal, stressing thought that the county will not tolerate the counterproductive language of threat.
Hossein Amirabdollahian held a telephone conversation with United Nations Secretary General António Guterres to discuss the nuclear talks in Vienna and other issues of mutual interest.
During the conversation, Amirabdollahian said the Iranian delegation is sitting at the negotiating table with initiatives and necessary powers and is making efforts to reach a good deal.
He said one reason why the talks are slow is that the Western side has no initiatives, stressing, “We have presented two draft documents regarding sanctions removal and nuclear issues which conform to the Iran nuclear deal, JCPOA, and we made no demand (anything) beyond the JCPOA and at the same time will not accept any obligations beyond the JCPOA”.
Amirabdollahian added that the Iranian side made good proposals at the talks which can serve as a basis for a lasting agreement.
He noted, “Just as we have reiterated time and again, the prerequisite for removing the West’s alleged concerns is to fully remove the JCPOA-related sanctions”.
“After the secretary general of the International Atomic Energy Agency condemned the act of sabotage at the Karaj site in Iran, we declared as a goodwill gesture that we will allow the installing of cameras at the site”, said the foreign minister.
Iran’s top diplomat also noted that Iran is seeking a good deal with goodwill and active initiatives but will not tolerate the language of threat.
The Western sides should know that threats against Iran are counterproductive, he said, according to the Foreign Ministry’s website.
The two sides then turned to the issue of Lebanon. Given that the UN chief is going to travel to Lebanon in the near future, Amirabdollahian said Iran has always supported Lebanon’s national unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity and supports efforts to help Lebanon.
He added the international community must confront the Zionist regime’s aggression against Lebanon.
The UN chief said during the phone call that the Vienna talks are important.
Guterres said he believes that the JCPOA is an important document and its structure is very useful for international peace and stability.
The UN secretary general also said that the UN’s stance on the JCPOA has always been clear and candid and it has supported the deal.
Guterres thanked the Islamic Republic of Iran for cooperating with the IAEA and its decision to allow installing cameras at Karaj facility. He said this is a sign of Iran’s good cooperation with the agency, which will have a positive impact on confidence building process during the talks.
Guterres said he will use all mechanisms at the UN disposal and will do his best so that the Vienna talks will produce good results.
The UN secretary general also said his visit to Lebanon is aimed at creating unity and convergence among the Lebanese people, adding I believe Lebanon’s problems can be solved by its people.