FM Zarif:

Iran to Keep Diplomacy Despite US Pressures

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said despite Washington’s pressures to isolate his country, Tehran is actively engaged in diplomatic talks with countries from all over the world.

News ID: 446749

Date: 25 August 2019 - 10:51

RNA - "Despite US efforts to destroy diplomacy, (I) met with French President Emmanuel Macron and Jean-Yves Le Drian in Paris today," Zarif tweeted on Friday, after he concluded his last week’s multi-stop tour in France.

He started his visits of last week in Kuwait and then went to Finland, Sweden and Norway to meet with the top officials of the countries before arriving in Paris in late Thursday.

Zarif added that he also “interviewed with Euronews, AFP, and France24," during his one-day stay in Paris.

"Multilateralism must be preserved,” the top diplomat said about the message of his interviews and bilateral talks with senior officials of the host countries.

"Next stops Beijing, Tokyo and Kuala Lumpur after a day in Tehran," the Iranian diplomatic chief added.

Earlier on Friday, Zarif told reporters, after his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, that he had constructive talks with the French head of state, but meantime reiterated that Tehran will never re-negotiate the nuclear deal of 2015, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“We will keep our talks as Macron and Mr. Rouhani will continue to have phone consultations. Our stances are quite clear. We hold that the JCPOA is not re-negotiable,” Zarif said, after his talks with Macron.

“Today’s discussions were in line with previous phone talks between the presidents of the two countries in the past weeks. France had put forward some proposals and we had our own proposals in return on how to implement the JCPOA and the steps needed to be undertaken by all sides,” the top diplomat went on recounting.

“We had good and constructive talks, but it depends on how the European Union (EU) will be able to deliver on its commitments under the JCPOA and the commitments it made after the US withdrawal from the JCPOA,” Zarif highlighted.

According to Fars News Agancy, Zarif’s meetings and interviews come three weeks after Washington’s imposition of sanctions against the top diplomat.

In separate statements on July 31, the US departments of State and Treasury announced the imposition of sanctions against Zarif because he “acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran”.

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