Lebanon: Iran-world powers agreement to benefit regional states

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri underlined the good progress attained in the recent nuclear talks between Iran and the major world powers in Geneva, stressing that a nuclear agreement between Tehran and the sextet will also benefit the entire Middle-East region. An agreement between Iran and the five permanent UN Security Council members - the United States, China, Russia, France and Britain - plus Germany will be a milestone, its positive results will prevail across the region and Lebanon will also be a beneficiary, Berri said in a meeting with Iranian Ambassador to Beirut Qazanfar Roknabadi on Wednesday. He also pointed to Israel’s concerted efforts to sabotage negotiations over the Iranian nuclear case, stressing that the Tel Aviv regime will leave no stone unturned in pursuit of such a goal. Berri went on to say that a deal over Tehran’s civilian nuclear work would mark a page in US history since it would be a measure unfazed by the Israeli pressure and in line with the interests of the American nation. In relevant remarks on Monday, the chief executive officer of the French multinational integrated oil and gas company 'Total SA' said that the removal of US-engineered sanctions against Iran’s energy sector will be to the benefit of its neighboring countries, including the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) member states. Speaking at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC), Christophe de Margerie said it was important to understand the advantages of sanctions against Iran being removed. The PGCC consists of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Sanctions on Iran’s energy sector were imposed based on the unfounded accusation that Iran is pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program. Iran rejects the allegations, arguing that as a committed signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. In addition, the IAEA has conducted numerous inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities but has never found any evidence showing that Iran's civilian nuclear program has been diverted to nuclear weapons production. On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton in a joint statement issued at the end of three days of talks in Geneva hailed progress in the negotiations between Iran and the six world powers, and said they would convene in the same venue on November 20 to remove the existing differences.