Iran’s President, Japanese PM Call for Enhancement of Ties
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in a telephone conversation on Wednesday stressed their resolve for development of relations between the two countries.
During the phone, Raisi said the Islamic Republic is prepared to upgrade the level of its relations and cooperation with other countries, including Japan.
He said Iran and Japan are founded on glorious and peaceful civilizations, adding that the two countries’ development of ties would benefit all nations.
“With the existing knowledge of the capacities of the two countries, we can take big steps towards strengthening Tehran-Tokyo relations,” the Iranian president said, according to a readout of the call published by his office.
“Tehran and Tokyo can play an effective role in creating and promoting peace and stability in the region and the world by strengthening joint cooperation,” he added.
Raisi also referred to the ongoing talks in Vienna on the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal and said the current US administration’s adherence to the failed policies of its predecessor with regard to Iran is the main obstacle to making “acceptable progress” in the Vienna negotiations.
Iran and the other parties to the Iran deal on Tuesday resumed the eighth round of talks to bring the US back into the deal and remove Washington’s unilateral sanctions against Iran.
The US left the deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), under former president Donald Trump in 2018 and began to target Iran with a “maximum pressure” campaign.
The current US president, Joe Biden, has vowed to rectify the “failed” policy and re-enter the JCPOA. Ten months after beginning the Vienna talks, Biden has failed to deliver on his promise.
“The US administration’s clinging to the failed policies of the former administration is the major obstacle to making acceptable progress in the negotiations,” Raisi told Kishida.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian president said the interference of extra-regional countries is the main destabilizing factor in the region.
Referring to the Yemeni crisis, he underlined the need to have the Saudi-led blockade of Yemen lifted to put an end to the horrific massacre of the defenseless people of the impoverished Middle-Eastern country.
For his part, the Japanese premier extended his congratulations on the anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution.
He said he visited Iran several times during his tenure as Japan’s foreign minister, adding, “َAs prime minister, with my knowledge of the capacities of the two countries, I seek to develop relations and activate joint cooperation capacities.”