High Potentials for Wide-Ranging Tehran-Europe Relations 

President Hassan Rouhani said the settlement of the 12-year nuclear dispute between Iran and western powers, and the subsequent removal of anti-Iran sanctions have prepared the ground for deepening cooperation between Tehran and the European Union. 

The dispute ended with the July 2015 nuclear deal that went into effect in January 2016 to temporarily limit Iran's nuclear work in exchange for sanctions relief.  

Speaking in a meeting with visiting Foreign Minister of Luxemburg Jean Asselborn on Tuesday, Rouhani said Iran has vast untapped potentials for investment, particularly in the fields of oil, gas, petrochemicals, transport, mining and industries.

"Iran can supply a portion of Europe's energy demands. It can also be a major transit route linking the continent to the Indian Ocean and East Asia," he said.

The president said that in tandem with political and economic ties, Iran and the EU should work to promote scientific and cultural interactions. 

  Iran Never First to Abandon Deals 

In November, the nuclear deal, which for months triggered Iran's grievances that it is not fully receiving the expected economic benefits, faced an existential threat when Donald Trump, who had vowed during electoral campaigns to "dismantle" the deal, became the US president. 

Trump, who took office on January 20, has apparently backed off from the threat, but his threatening language against Iran and reports that he intends to push Iran toward abandoning the deal by imposing new sanctions on the country have worried other parties to the deal: Russia, China, Britain, and top EU members, France and Germany. 

Rouhani said Iran will never be the first to pull out of any agreement it signs and will continue to fulfill its commitments "as long as other sides fulfill theirs". 

"The nuclear deal was concluded with a win-win approach and today, all should help protect it, as undermining the deal would create a mood of pessimism and disappointment around the world about the application of dialogue in settling disputes.

"There are many problems related to terrorism and extremism in the region, particularity in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Afghanistan. Iran and the EU should work together to help manage these problems," he said. 

Asselborn said his country is intent on expanding collaboration with Tehran and, like other EU members, supports the nuclear accord.  

"All parties to multilateral agreements should completely fulfill their commitments. There can't be peace [in the world] without multilateralism," he said. 

Luxemburg's top diplomat said, "Iran is a great country in the region and we believe in its important and effective role in the settlement of regional issues."

Heading a high-ranking political delegation, Asselborn arrived in Tehran Sunday night. During his stay in Tehran, the two countries signed a number of investment agreements.