“Eight years ago, I was here and I told you that the nuclear issue of Iran would be sooner or later resolved, and now I am happy that 4 months after the implementation of the JCPOA, I am again here, talking about development of the bilateral political and economic relations of Tehran and Tokyo,” said Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs at the Japan National Press Club (JNPC/Nippon Kisha Club) on Friday.
Araghchi also recounted that Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, will soon travel to Tehran in a bid ro expand economic and political interactions between the two countries.
“The nuclear negotiations of Iran-sextet fruited for two reasons,” said the Iranian diplomat when explaining the course of nuclear talks for the reporters, “the first reason was that the US changed its approach in dealing with Iran and learned how to speak politely to Iranians instead of bullying them. And the second element of success was the win-win approach undertaken by the both sides of the table.”
Then the Iranian deputy FM advocated the use of win-win approach for resolving regional issues across the globe. He voiced hope that the same approach benefit Iran-Japan ties as there are many common areas of interest that can be developed. He added that Iran’s oil, petrochemicals, and gas industry is a real opportunity and the Japanese can be even investors in this field instead of solely being the customer of Iran’s oil and pet-chem. products; something that, in Araghchi’s view, would benefit the both countries.
“Car industry, transportation, and nuclear plants, are the other areas of economic cooperation between Tehran and Tokyo,” highlighted the Iranian diplomat who was formerly the ambassador of Iran to Japan.
When asked about the US claims about the anti-missile shield in Europe to defend ‘Europeans against Iran’, Araghchi dismissed the accusations and reiterated that Iran’s defensive might is only to deterrent purposes against any possible aggression against Iran and added that, “I think all of you know what the American missile-defense complexes in Eastern Europe are for.”
“We think that Saudi Arabia is one of the major countries in the Islamic world, and the unilateral measure of Saudis in cutting diplomatic ties with Tehran, to me, was a mistake. Iran is after peace and stability in the region and is ready to solve regional problems with all its neighbors via dialogue,” said Araghchi in response to questions about Iran-KSA relations.
“Leaders of those countries that have used weapons of mass destruction in the past should apologize to the world in addition to Japan and Iran,” Araghchi said when he was asked about the forthcoming visit of US President Obama to Hiroshima, one of the two Japanese cities hit by the US atomic bombs in 1945.
“Both Japan and Iran were victimized by weapons of mass destruction,” Araghchi said, referring to the 1980-88 war of Saddam on Iran during which Saddam’s western-made missiles hit Iranian cities and the Western media turned blind eye on them.
Commenting on the economic and banking benefits of the JCPOA, Araghchi described the progress positive as it has been just 4 months.
YNG/3663418
Your Comment