Iranian President Hassan Rouhani met with the French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Monday evening in Tehran, during which he stressed the Islamic Republic’s resolve on placing no limits on the development and consolidation of relations and cooperation with France.
The president also deemed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) as a test for all negotiating parties, adding "the preservation of the nuclear deal will prove to the world that negotiations and diplomacy are the best solution to any problem, while its violation will indicate that political talks are a waste of time.”
Stressing the need for all sides to the agreement to live up to their commitments, President Rouhani said "Iran will never be the first party to violate the JCPOA. We consider the agreement as effective in enhancing trust, peace, cooperation and regional and international stability.”
He went on to voice satisfaction with the current “favorable atmosphere” provided by the JCPOA for the development of relations and cooperation between Iran and France, calling for more joint efforts in achieving common goals and mutual interests.
Rouhani highlighted the need for Iran and France to cooperate on regional stability and security, adding "France and the Islamic Republic of Iran have played a positive role in solving the recent issues in Lebanon and should continue to work in the direction of strengthening peace in this country and providing the necessary groundwork for an election that will bring about vitality and political solidity in Lebanon.”
The president deemed the security of the Persian Gulf highly significant in the region, adding “it is an international and humane duty to do our best for a cease-fire, and putting an end to the war and the killing of people in Yemen, as well as for sending humanitarian aid to the Yemeni people who are being bombed, and suffering from diseases and plenty of other problems.”
He went on to add, "Iran is present in Syria upon the official request of the Syrian government to assist the country in combating terrorism. The scourge of terrorism in the region has not been completely eradicated and it is poses a serious threat to other countries as well.”
"There is no way but to strengthen the central government in Damascus to solve the Syrian crisis," said Rouhani, stressing that the fight for complete eradiation of terrorism and helping the Syrian people were one of the top priorities of Iran-France cooperation in the region.
The French foreign minister, for his part, highlighted his country’s keen interest in and respect for preserving the JCPOA, adding "the IAEA reports indicate that Iran is in full compliance with its commitments, and France will do its utmost for the preservation of the nuclear deal.”
He noted that Tehran-Paris economic and trade relations have increased significantly for the last two years after the signing of the JCPOA, adding "Iran and France can have good cooperation with each other in promoting regional stability and security, particularly by preventing humanitarian disasters in the countries of the region and resolving regional crises.”
"We are interested in consulting and cooperating with Iran as a friend country on all issues of mutual interest," the French foreign minister stressed.
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