Chairman of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Mojtaba Zonnour held a virtual meeting with the head of South Korean Parliament’s Foreign Policy Committee during which the Iranian side stated that the two issues of Iranian frozen funds in South Korea under the US sanctions and the recent seizure of a South Korean ship in the Persian Gulf by Iranian forces were not linked.
Zonnour hailed the long-standing bilateral relations in various fields between Tehran and Seoul, saying that those two problems could be solved without affecting bilateral relations.
The Iranian lawmaker criticized the Korean side for not releasing Iranian funds for fear of the US sanctions despite their earlier promises, calling on Seoul to take serious and practical measures in that regard.
He assured that the Korean vessel was seized by the Iranian troops for polluting the water in the Persian Gulf, stressing that the Iranian Judiciary which is an independent body from the Parliament is pursuing the matter in accordance with the law.
Nevertheless, the senior Iranian MP said that South Korea’s action in returning the frozen Iranian funds could affect the Iranian Judiciary’s decision on the arrested Korean vessel.
The Korean lawmaker for his part expressed hope that bilateral relations between the two countries will continue to deepen, saying that Seoul is determined to expand ties with Iran in various areas.
He described the two issues as unimportant that could not hinder the expansion of bilateral ties.
The Korean side further underlined that their Parliament is pursuing the issue of Iranian frozen funds until the end to make sure that the Islamic Republic could have access to its frozen assets.
At the end of the meeting, Zonnour invited his South Korean counterpart to visit Iran.
KI/IRN84203338
Your Comment