Paris Eager to Hold Talks on Region

EghtesadOnline: The new French ambassador in Tehran said Paris intends to hold talks with Iran on regional and international affairs.

News ID: ۷۴۷۰۸۲

16 April 2019

Philippe Thiebaud made the statement on Sunday while presenting a copy of his credentials to Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif who voiced Iran’s readiness to engage in dialogue and cooperation with French officials to resolve regional problems.

The French envoy also reaffirmed his country's will to remain in and preserve the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, despite the United States' unilateral withdrawal last year and its reimposition of sanctions on Tehran, Financial Tribune reported.

"France's approach, as confirmed in a [recent] phone conversation between French President [Emmanuel Macron] and [President Hassan] Rouhani, involves remaining in and supporting the JCPOA and the fulfillment of commitments by both sides," the French envoy was quoted as saying by ISNA.

Pointing to Iran's full adherence to the terms of the agreement, Thiebaud highlighted France's major role in the establishment of a special payment channel for trade with Iran known as INSTEX (Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges).

INSTEX is a financial mechanism designed by the European Union to facilitate trade with Iran by circumventing American sanctions.

The launch of the instrument faced months of delay before France, in cooperation with Germany and Britain (E3), finally registered the INSTEX in late January, though it is yet to become operational.

JCPOA Spoiler

Thiebaud was appointed last month to the position that had been vacant for over six months due to a series of diplomatic fallouts between France and Iran last year, including allegations of attack plots by Iran on European soil.

In the meeting, Zarif called for resolving issues that could poison the two countries' relations by drawing on the authorities' "foresight and wisdom".

He also expressed criticism over the one-sided articles of the recent statement of the G7 (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States), describing such an attitude as "destroyer of the nuclear agreement".

The G7 foreign ministers held a meeting hosted by France in early April and released a statement that contained several clauses regarding Iran.

Although the group consists of the three European countries that apparently aim to salvage JCPOA, the clauses contained no expression of support for the deal or protection of Iran's rights under the agreement.

Instead, member states only expressed concerns and affirmed their commitments to strictly monitor Iran's compliance with JCPOA and restrict its nuclear, missile and regional activities.