Ali Shamkhani, who is also Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Secretary, met Federica Mogherini, the EU Foreign Policy Chief who is visiting Tehran. Mr. Shamkhani highlighted the EU’s ‘pivotal role in bringing the JCPOA a definite and concrete result’ and also in securing and protecting ‘its accurate implementation’ through working with Iran in a joint commission; “the US has been in a path of destructive role in the implementation of JCPOA; should the EU refrain from asserting its impact on this course of action, the whole process would come to a complete deadlock,” he suggested. “Iran and the EU have embarked on cooperating on a host of fields including economy, politics, energy, transportation, environment, and fighting terrorism, which would have as a contributor mutual good will.”
“Iran has paid inordinate amount of expenses on providing the region its security through fighting ISIL in Iraq and Syria; a long-term presence of Takfirists will beset the region by an insecurity and instability which would still over to the world; to fight this and to forestall the spillover, the EU should foster better convergence,” Shamkhani told Mogherini. “Sanctions on the pretext of human rights record would stand in gross inconsistency with the EU’s much-vaunted improved ties with Iran and would fuel distrust of both sides; ill-treatment, dismissal, and returning migrant-refugees to countries themselves grappling with threat of terrorism will belie the EU’s claims to protecting human rights.”
“Larger part of the ongoing crisis in Iraq, Syria, and Libya is nourished by sending arms and logistical support by EU countries to terrorist factions fighting the governments of these countries, and these supporters should held responsible for their past and present actions; in Palestine, the Zionist regime has defied international condemnation of its conduct in Occupied Territories and has continued killing of Palestinians and building Jewish settlements; with unregulated amount of WMD, it is a potential threat to the whole region,” Shamkhani criticized the situation in the region.
“The EU should come up with a realistic assessment of the situation to recognize Syrian public’s resolve to decide about their own political future; recent parliamentary elections in Syria provided the EU with an example of democratic participation in the political process in Syria which should receive support,” Shamkhani told the meeting.
Federica Mogherini, for her part, hailed Tehran’s efforts in implementing JCPOA, believing that concrete results including lifting of international sanctions were among Iran’s legitimate rights in the deal; “Iran would play more positive role in helping the region out of the crisis and embracing security and stability in close cooperation with the EU,” she added.
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