Mohammad Javad Zarif of Iran along with EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini and Norwegian Foreign Minister Børge Brende sat during Oslo Forum 2016 on Tuesday in a press conference, Iran’s IRIB news center reported.
Mr. Zarif focused on nuclear deal with world powers as a win-win situation. However, he urged that the US should intervene in more responsible manner in order to ease the psychological atmosphere after the deal which negatively affected trade with Iran even after US officials had provided guarantees that international companies would not be targeted by sanction laws should they resume trade with Iran.
“The US has effectively removed sanctions only on paper, and the European companies would fear any opening of trade with Iran lest US would punish them in the name of violating sanctions; we had discussed these issues today (Tuesday morning) with Ms. Mogherini as we had been doing during past few months, and I will also contact and talk to Mr. John Kerry focusing on sanctions; Iranian people await to see the impacts of removal of sanctions in practice,” Mr. Zarif told the press conference.
On a question of Iran’s support for Shia paramilitary groups in Iraq, Zarif categorically rejected the claim; “we believe that any sectarian action would prove disastrous and would spread fire of sectarian strife to other regions; we have always advocated working together with all Islamic sects of all cultures; we condemn and avoid extremism and abhor any action against innocent civilians in the name of religion,” he emphasized.
“On Syria, all have been speaking of a political solution to which we also are a believer; but a prerequisite is the necessity that all should forget about a military solution as well; I think however that this barrier has still existed on the road to that ideal condition,” he told the press.
“Solving Syrian crisis requires a comprehensive strategy; we have plans for this crisis and would negotiate with all parties engaged in the crisis and international panel of supporters of Syria; definitely, Iraqis and Syrians themselves should decide on political future of their country and no side should dictate any decision from outside,” he added.
“This should not be forgotten that we see a human disaster in Syria in epic scale; I urge all sides of any influence in Syria to join humanitarian efforts to relieve the calamities of the thousands of people affected,” Zarif said.
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