National
0

Swedish FM: Europe Stands by Iran Nuclear Pact

Swedish FM: Europe Stands by Iran Nuclear Pact
Swedish FM: Europe Stands by Iran Nuclear Pact

Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom highlighted the importance of Tehran-Stockholm ties, saying Europe is united and determined to stand by Iran's 2015 nuclear accord with major powers, which led to the lifting of sanctions against the country.

She made the statement in a Tuesday meeting with Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for European and American Affairs Majid Takht-Ravanchi, who had traveled to Stockholm at the invitation of his Swedish counterpart, Annika Soder, IRNA reported.

Wallstrom underlined the importance of bilateral cooperation in various sectors, reassuring that moves by Iran to develop its international interactions are in the interest of European and other countries.

"The whole Europe is after implementation of JCPOA," she said, using an acronym for the nuclear deal that stands for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The Iranian envoy also discussed bilateral, regional and international issues with Soder and Deputy Trade Minister Oscar Stenstrom who were present in the meeting.

Soder underscored her country's desire to develop strong ties with Iran and reiterated that Europe stands united to uphold the landmark accord.

Stenstrom described last year's visit by Sweden Prime Minister Stefan Lofven to Tehran as a historic event, stressing that Europe remains wholly committed to defending and implementing Iran's nuclear deal.

"The Swedish government is attempting to find solutions for removing banking and financial obstacles to bilateral trade," he said.

Takht-Ravanchi said a "suitable atmosphere" has been created for fostering collaboration in different spheres, particularly after last year's implementation of JCPOA. He hoped that the documents signed during the Sweden premier's visit to Tehran would be implemented through joint follow-up efforts.

The official underlined the necessity of activating the joint economic commission and emphasized the need to remove barriers to banking and financial collaborations.

He enumerated several areas for increasing cooperation between the two states, including environmental issues, water management, renewable energy, waste management and recycling.

"Iran and Europe can be complementary to each other and they should seize the opportunities," he said.

The two sides called for continuation of bilateral negotiations in various fields to achieve stronger agreements on political and diplomatic solutions.

During his visit, the Iranian envoy delivered a speech titled "Iran and Europe in Post-JCPOA: Opportunities and Challenges" at Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

The talk was attended by a number of elite and political figures of Sweden, including Jan Eliasson, former deputy secretary-general of the United Nations, and Hans Blix, the former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

 

Add new comment

Read our comment policy before posting your viewpoints

Financialtribune.com