President Hassan Rouhani said time will prove that major powers' decision to engage with Iran to reach a settlement on the long-running dispute over its nuclear program has been the best way to deal with Tehran.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran will honor all its voluntary commitments under the Joint Comprehensive plan of Action [the official title of the recent nuclear deal with major powers] because we have been determined not to seek [nuclear] weapons and [to prove our intentions] we have allowed the UN nuclear watchdog to monitor our facilities," Rouhani said.
“The other side to the nuclear talks with Iran will certainly grow confident that they have made the right choice by turning to cooperation rather than confrontation with Iran,” IRNA quoted him as saying in a meeting with visiting British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond on Monday.
The president stressed the need to exploit the favorable conditions having emerged after the pact to help improve Tehran-London ties.
“Interaction between Iran and Britain in various political and economic domains is necessary to help advance efforts aimed at resolving regional and international issues.”
He cited fighting terrorism, helping the homeless and those in need of humanitarian aid in conflict-ravaged countries and efforts to help establish democracy in the region as few examples of the many potential areas of cooperation between the two countries.
Britain and Iran simultaneously reopened their embassies on Sunday.
The two sides cut diplomatic relations four years ago following the storming of the British Embassy by a group of angry protestors.
Hammond voiced pleasure that bilateral ties are improving, saying, “The restoration of the missions was an important symbolic step that has facilitated effective and confidence-building talks between the two countries, enabling them to gain a better understanding of each other’s positions.”
“Britain is keen to expand cooperation with Iran in all areas and such (comprehensive) cooperation needs to be founded on stable diplomatic relations,” Hammond said, adding that in view of this, London is ready to raise the level of contacts from charges d’affaires to ambassadors.
The two countries temporarily appointed charges d’affaires to run their missions in 2014.
Earlier in the day, Hammond met Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Shamkhani.
Shamkhani said the two sides’ interests can only be served through relations based on mutual respect and driven by efforts to build trust.
The West should change its policy on Iran and avoid “unconstructive” misunderstandings, he added.
