Tehran, Vienna Hold Political Talks

Senior Iranian and Austrian diplomats held the fifth round of political negotiations between the two countries in Tehran on Saturday.
The meeting was chaired by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Baqeri and Secretary General of the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Peter Launsky.
Baqeri underscored the long history of relations between Tehran and Vienna, describing it as a valuable asset for bilateral ties.
He also pointed to some regional issues and the latest developments in Yemen and Afghanistan, as well as Iran’s efforts to help reduce the problems in those countries, saying the Yemeni people have been under the most severe military attacks for five years and, from a humanitarian point of view, European countries are expected to take serious action to put an end to the ongoing catastrophes in the Arab country.
In addition, he underlined Tehran’s compliance with its commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
Baqeri added that Europe did not withdraw from the agreement after the withdrawal of the United States, but did not take effective and practical action within the framework of its commitments under the JCPOA either.
Launsky highlighted long-standing Iran-Austria relations, noting that mutual respect and understanding have underpinned the will of the two nations to cooperate with each other, the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s website reported.
He also pointed to the significant potential in economic relations between Iran and Austria and underlined the willingness of Austrian companies to be present in the Iranian market.
The Austrian diplomat then turned to the situation in Afghanistan, emphasizing that Austria understands Iran’s concerns and appreciates it for hosting Afghan refugees.
Regarding Yemen, he said Austria is trying to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people as much as possible by providing them with humanitarian aid.

Meeting With FM 

Earlier in the day, Launsky had held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Ami-Abdollahian.
He expressed hope for the revival of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, calling for closer cooperation with Tehran in various fields.
Praising the friendly relations between Austria and Iran, he expressed hope that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action would be revived with the cooperation of all parties.
Launsky also condemned the recent terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, noting that Iran and Austria have common concerns about self-styled Islamic State terrorists.
He also stressed Austria’s support for the meetings of Afghanistan’s neighbors to resolve the country’s problems.

Amir-Abdollahian hailed the age-old ties between Iran and Austria, expressed hope for the promotion of economic and trade cooperation, and said, “We attach great importance to these relations.”
He also appreciated the donation of coronavirus vaccines by Austria to Iran and called for more cooperation with Vienna in tackling the pandemic.
The Iranian foreign minister called on the European Union to adopt a more responsible approach to the rights of displaced Afghans and condemned the recent terrorist attacks in Afghanistan.
Ami-Abdollahian also described the rise of the IS terrorist groups in Afghanistan as a threat.