The French foreign minister's scheduled visit to Iran will create a proper platform for further consultations and cooperation between the two countries on bilateral, regional and international issues, says Abolqasem Delfi, Tehran's ambassador in Paris. Jean-Yves Le Drian is due to meet with high-ranking Iranian officials in the capital on Monday, according to the Foreign Ministry.
In an interview with IRNA published on Sunday, the ambassador said the minister's visit would include talks with President Hassan Rouhani, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, and Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani.
"The relationship between Iran and France as two powers in their respective regions is based on an old, historical bond and mutual interests and is at a good level," Delfi noted, adding that direct bilateral contacts have increased since the 2015 nuclear agreement.
He said France and other members of the European Union strongly support the nuclear accord and are aware of its significance in promoting peace and stability in the Middle East.
France has on several occasions reaffirmed its commitment to the agreement, saying it wants it to be strictly implemented and is continuing talks with its European and US partners on the program.
The crux of the agreement between Iran and six major powers—Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States—was that Iran would restrict its nuclear program in return for relief from sanctions.
Joint Projects
Delfi said Paris understands the importance of the opportunities created for the implementation of joint projects in the post-sanctions era, which could benefit both countries. Referring to the cooperation between French oil and gas company Total and Iranian companies, the diplomat said, "The investment is of strategic and international significance for both sides."
However, certain countries which are seeking to torpedo the nuclear deal have been attempting to prevent the project from being fully carried out, he added.
Total signed a deal with Tehran in July 2017 to develop phase 11 of Iran's South Pars field—the world's largest gas field—with an initial investment of $1 billion, marking the first major western energy investment in the Islamic Republic since the lifting of sanctions, according to Reuters. The envoy also stated that the volume of bilateral trade between the two countries has increased over the past several years.
Missile Program
There have been some ups and downs in Tehran-Paris relations in recent years, and France's call for negotiations over Iran's missile program has recently strained ties. France's foreign minister told Iran ahead of his visit that the country needs to address concerns over its ballistic missile program or risks new sanctions.
"There are ballistic programs of missiles that can reach several thousand kilometers which are not compatible with UN Security Council resolutions and exceed the sole need of defending Iran's borders," Le Drian told the Journal du Dimanche newspaper, Reuters reported. "If not tackled head on, this country risks new sanctions," he added.
European governments have been scrambling to appease US President Donald Trump and keep the nuclear deal intact by pressuring Iran and have voiced increasing concern over its missile program.
Tehran says its missile program is purely defensive and non-negotiable and has urged Europe not to be influenced by Washington's confrontational policy toward Tehran.
