“They will never be able to carry out this threat,” said Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at a press conference jointly held by his Swiss counterpart Alain Berset on Tuesday in Bern.
The president's remarks came in response to Brian Hook, US State Department’s director of policy planning, who threatened at a briefing to increase pressure on Iran "by reducing to zero its revenue on crude-oil sales.”
“As we have reiterated earlier, as long as our interests are secured in abiding by the nuclear agreement and we are assured that we can reap advantages from the agreement, we will keep honoring the deal,” asserted the Iranian president.
Mr. Rouhani also recounted the areas discussed in talks with Swiss president and underlined that the two countries are determined to expand relations in science, technology, and culture.
Rouhani then touched upon other area of talks with his Swiss counterpart, including immigration, refugees, and human rights; "everybody knows that Iran has been shouldering the burden of immigration for decades and today more than three million refugees are living in Iran," he said.
“All the refugees living in Iran are enjoying the same benefits as Iranian citizens indiscriminately and their children are getting free education at public schools and they are using the same subsidized energy and food supplies,” he highlighted.
“We also stressed that the actions by some governments in the world that separate mothers from their children and have created a religious apartheid in visa issuance and immigration are unacceptable,” he added.
Referring to intensive, cordial negotiations between the senior officials of Iran and Switzerland on various issues, President Rouhani said, “we had cordial negotiations ranging from bilateral and international political and economic issues to football.”
“We attach great weight to our relations with the friend country of Switzerland, which is known by the Iranians as a country with rich culture and vast scientific advancement,” Mr. Rouhani underlined.
“We have decided to develop our financial, banking and business cooperation, as well as investment, tourism and science and culture and I am confident that the two countries are determined to overcome the possible hurdles that may hinder business relations,” he added.
The President also referred to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and added, “the two countries believe that the JCPOA is a great political achievement that was struck after long, intensive negotiations and the survival of this agreement is beneficial for Iran's relations with other countries, as well as global peace and security.”
Mr. Rouhani also said, “in these negotiations, I emphasized that the blind sanctions against a great nation is the biggest violation of human rights in today's world. We also discussed the issues on global and Middle East peace and security, and that Iran has played a very important role in fighting terrorism in the region.”
"We are willing to discuss regional issues and the crises that exist in the region with Switzerland, especially about humanitarian aid and saving people who are under pressure, including in Yemen,” the Iranian president continued.
He also appreciated the warm hospitality of the Swiss government and people and wished success for the country's football team in 2018 World Cup.
President of the Swiss Confederation also referred to the draft of a roadmap for development of cooperation in different economic, financial, scientific and technical fields, as well as immigration, saying, “since Monday, we have discussed different issues including the nuclear deal and the consequences of US' withdrawal from it.”
He went on to add, “Switzerland believes that the nuclear deal was a great success and an important victory for international diplomacy and is committed to its implementation. The agreement has been signed by several countries and is endorsed by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231, and it is very important for the parties to cooperate in maintaining this agreement."
Referring to the state of the nuclear deal after US' withdrawal, he said, “today, we have deepened and continued our discussions on financial and economic issues, and we are very keen on scientific and research fields and welcome an Iranian scientific delegation in Switzerland.”
“Switzerland is committed not only to multilateralism, but also to international law, along with continued dialogue and negotiations, and it will continue its efforts to help engage in dialogue and exchange.”
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