US Must Act Realistically in JCPOA Talks: Iran’s FM Amirabdollahian
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The foreign minister of Iran reaffirmed Tehran’s push for a good and sustainable deal in the talks for the revival of the JCPOA, stressing that the US needs to have a realistic view of the issue and guarantee that Iran will enjoy the economic benefits of the agreement.
In a meeting in Rome on Monday, Hossein Amirabdollahian and his Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio talked about ways to develop bilateral ties and discussed regional and international issues.
Amirabdollahian referred to the age-old relations between Tehran and Rome and the existing capacities of the two countries, underlining the need for the two sides to use those possibilities to develop their cooperation, especially in the economic and trade fields, as much as possible.
He said Iran is interested in the presence of Italian and Iranian technologies and goods in the markets of the two countries.
He described the current situation as a good opportunity for Tehran and Rome to expand trade exchanges, the Foreign Ministry’s website reported.
The Iranian foreign minister further proposed that the private sectors of Iran and Italy take action to expand economic and trade cooperation. He also stressed the significance of reviewing consular issues and facilitating visits by people of the two countries.
Amirabdollahian also pointed to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), saying, “We want the JCPOA to work smoothly. We seriously seek a good and lasting deal. We believe that Iran must be able to enjoy full economic benefits from the JCPOA.”
He added that the US must understand this reality with regarding to the issue of giving guarantees to Iran. “To this end, the Islamic Republic of Iran has always put forth its own new initiatives but the US has failed to act soundly and logically. They must understand the issue logically.”
Amirabdollahian further noted that Iran wants to have its natural share of the energy market, thus helping the international community this way.
For his part, Di Maio described Amirabdollahian’s visit to Rome at this juncture of international developments as highly important, saying the visit provides a good opportunity for the expansion of bilateral relations.
He said the Italian companies are willing to continue their business in Iran.
Di Maio also stressed that Italy and the European Union want the talks aimed at returning of all parties to the JCPOA to produce results, adding that Italy is ready to play a positive role to this end.
The top Italian diplomat thanked the government of Iran for its efforts to increase scientific and cultural exchanges with Italy.
Di Maio expressed hope that the talks between Iran and the 5+1 will pay off, underlining that bilateral relations must be inclusive and not limited to a single sector like energy.
Regional and international issues were also discussed elsewhere during the talks. Amirabdollahian reaffirmed Iran’s opposition to resorting to war, be it in Yemen or Afghanistan or Ukraine.
As for the Ukraine crisis, Amirabdollahian said Iran made efforts to invite Moscow and Kiev to talks by contacting both sides. At the regional level, he added, Iran tries diplomatically to help resolve differences between Turkey and Syria through peaceful talks and to prevent a new conflict in this part of the world.