Iran, EU keen on expanding wide-ranging bilateral ties

Iran and the European Union (EU) reiterated their resolve to develop a broad plan for bilateral cooperation in a statement issued here on Saturday.

The consultations were made in Tehran for future cooperation of Iran and the EU in a number of areas ranging from energy and economy, trade and investment, agriculture and climate change to regional issues, migration, culture and human rights.

The announcement was made after the meeting of the visiting EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Saturday.

Both sides agreed to improve banking cooperation between the EU and Iran.

"They will focus on encouraging regulatory and industrial policy dialogues and creating mutual opportunities, including textiles, tourism, raw materials, construction and other areas to be mutually determined," the statement said.

Zarif said in a joint press conference with Mogherini that "We believe that the cooperation between Iran and the EU could help the development of the country and promote peace in the region."

He said that the mutual political and economic interests are tied to the nuclear agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, adding that the two sides will boost cooperation to remove the remaining obstacles on the way of its full implementation.

Zarif urged the United States to eliminate what he called the barriers to the banking and financial cooperation of western banks with Iran.

Mogherini said the EU would encourage European banks for greater engagement with Iran's economy.

"We are doing all what we can to reassure our financial and banking system about Europe's interest in developing economic ties with the Islamic republic," she said.

On Friday, Iran's central bank chief Valiollah Seif said in Washington that Iran must benefit from the nuclear deal reached last year, and the disinclination of world's major financial institutions to work with Iran might eventually endanger the agreement.

Iran blames the United States for imposing fresh unilateral sanctions against Tehran over its missile program, which have slackened global major banks' businesses in Iran.

On Saturday, the Secretary of Iran Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani said that the U.S. persistence on imposing sanctions against Iran and its failure to implement its commitments pertaining to the nuclear deal is "unconstructive."

"In case this trend is continued and the European Union cannot effectively counter the U.S. measures, it will leave negative impacts on the process of cooperation" on the nuclear agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, said Shamkhani.

Iran blames the United States for imposing fresh unilateral sanctions against Tehran over its missile program, which have slackened global major banks' businesses in Iran.

Iran and the EU has initiated good cooperation in multiple areas of economy, politics, energy, environment and fighting terrorism, which could bear fruits in the light of goodwill and a will to boost the interaction, Shamkhani said in a meeting with the visiting EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini.

To impose or keep sanctions against some Iranian officials, under the pretext of violating human rights, by the EU is also not consistent with the emerging spirit of bilateral cooperation and will only increase distrust, he added.

As for the regional issues, Shamkhani said that the recent parliamentary elections in Syria is an example of democracy and political engagement of the people and this should be encouraged.

Mogherini said that all the countries should help the progress in the implementation of Iran's nuclear deal.

Iran's influential role in the region and the EU-Iran cooperation could facilitate political solutions to the regional crises.

Mogherini arrived in Tehran on Saturday heading a high-ranking EU commissioners in the fields of energy, maritime affairs and fisheries, transport, market and industry.

Source: XINHUA