France says it wants to continue its "frank" and "firm" dialogue with Iran on various issues in the spirit of the nuclear agreement signed between Tehran and world powers in 2015. The French Foreign Ministry issued a statement following the visit of the country's top diplomat to the Iranian capital on March 5, saying that Jean-Yves Le Drian covered three main issues at his meetings, namely Iran's nuclear activities, its ballistic missile program, and its regional policies.
Le Drian met with President Hassan Rouhani, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani and Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani.
His trip was part of a European drive to salvage the nuclear agreement with Iran, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, while echoing concerns raised by US President Donald Trump who has threatened to scuttle the agreement.
The visit was the first by an official in President Emmanuel Macron's administration.
On the nuclear accord, the statement said, "France is determined to maintain this solid agreement and wants all parties to fulfill their commitments."
Paris also called on Tehran to keep strictly implementing its obligations, adding that it is important for both countries to help continue the resumption of European trade and investment in the Islamic Republic. The accord between France, Britain, Germany, Russia, China and the United States gave Iran relief from economic sanctions in return for curbs to its nuclear program, allowing Tehran to talk trade with Europe for the first time in years.
Missile Tests
In addition, France expressed "great concern" over Iran's ballistic missile activities, claiming that it does not comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and is a "destabilizing factor" in the region.
Resolution 2231, which enshrined the landmark nuclear deal with world powers, calls on Iran not to undertake activities related to missiles capable of delivering nuclear bombs, including launches using such technology. It stops short of explicitly barring such activity.
"We are also concerned about the issue of [alleged] missile transfers and Iranian assistance to non-state countries and entities in the region. This is why we want to undertake frank dialogue with Iran on this issue," the statement read.
The US president has vowed to back out of the multinational pact if Europe does not help fix its "flaws", and France has criticized Iran's missile program and raised the possibility of new sanctions in an effort to keep him on board.
Tehran says its missile program is only for deterrence and conventional defense and has rejected the allegations that it arms militant groups seeking to overthrow governments in the region.
Regional Role
The French Foreign Ministry also claimed that Iran's regional actions have "destabilizing consequences" for the region, which Iran denies.
"We want Iran to make a positive contribution to crisis resolution in the Middle East, in line with the sovereignty of states," it said, adding that the ongoing humanitarian and political situation in Syria will be addressed in future negotiations with Iran alongside other regional issues in Yemen, Lebanon and Iraq.
Bilateral Ties
The statement noted that the minister's visit aimed to strengthen the relationship between the two countries based on the framework set out during Rouhani's visit to Paris in 2016.
"We want to continue our dialogue over the long term, across all areas, encouraging cultural, scientific and human exchanges between our societies," it added.
