Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani and President of France Emmanuel Macron met and talked on the sidelines of the 72nd annual session of UN General Assembly in New York on Monday.
The Iranian side pointed to extensive cultural commonalities between Iran and France and, while stressing the need to promote cultural, scientific, technological and university ties of the two countries, said “we welcome presence of French investors for joint collaboration in various sectors.”
Emphasizing that JCPOA achievements should never be undermined and that all parties need to demonstrate commitment to the N-deal, Rouhani stated “the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) conveyed the message that complicated international issues could be resolved through dialogue and within a win-win framework.”
“Consequently, any damage to the international agreement will mean that diplomacy in unable to tackle obstacles,” he underlined.
He voiced concerns towards statements of the incumbent US government on JCPOA stressing “the only body having the right to supervise Iran’s nuclear deal is the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) who has clearly confirmed Iran’s commitment to the deal for seven times.”
Hassan Rouhani later called for joint cooperation of Tehran and Paris in regional issues especially in the fight against terrorism and recalled that Iran was combatting the scourge in the region by offering military advisory to official governments of Iraq and Syria merely at their own request.
The Iranian President later touched upon the issue of Iraq and the need for the international community, including France, to firmly back the constitution and territorial integrity of the Arab country; “the idea of referendum in the Iraqi Kurdistan and any move towards changing geographical borders of regional countries can prove dangerous as long-term conflicts are likely to emerge,” he explained.
President of France, for his part, stressed his country’s determination to deepen relations with Tehran saying “the post-JCPOA era marks an excellent opportunity for expansion of joint cooperation and Paris remains fully committed to the N-deal.”
“Paris is after complete implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and deems any renegotiation on the agreement as meaningless,” Emmanuel Macron noted.
On the referendum initiative in the Iraqi Kurdistan, the official said Kurds of Iraq need encouragement on their position in the legal power structure in Iraq.
He later suggested that a contact group, comprising all involved parties, regional powers, the United Nations as well as permanent members of the Security Council, be formed to end clashes in Syria. Meanwhile, the French president underscored that formation of such a contact group, rather than being a sign of closure or failure of Astana Talks, would intend to supplement the peace process.
Iranian and French Presidents, at the joint session, also exchanged views on a wide range of bilateral, regional and global issues.
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