“[Mohammad Javad] Zarif’s trip [to Biarritz] had nothing to do with the G7 summit, and it was done upon the French officials' request,” Rabiei said at his weekly press conference on Monday.
Reacting to some speculations over Zarif’s visit to France, the government spokesman said, “We do not have any role in the France-US talks, and there has been no intention to hold talks with any American official there.”
Foreign Minister Zarif visited Biarritz on Sunday at the official invitation of his French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian, to continue consultations on the recent initiatives proposed by Iran's President Hassan Rouhani and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron.
The visit came concurrently with a meeting of seven economic powers of the world, known as G7, in the French city.
During the trip, Zarif met with the French president after which he said he had "constructive" negotiations with Macron on ways to salvage an international nuclear deal signed between Iran and the then P5+1 countries back in 2015.
"France has offered proposals to Iran about ways to implement the JCPOA (the nuclear accord, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) and steps that the sides are required to take [to save the deal]," Zarif said.
He added that Iran has also presented proposals so that the JCPOA would be implemented completely.
Iran's top diplomat noted that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his French counterpart have held telephone conversations over recent weeks and said his meeting with Macron was also held in continuation of talks between the two presidents.
MNA/4702434
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