President in a phone call with French counterpart:

Full implementation of JCPOA a key test for future cooperation in int'l stage

EghtesadOnline: Presidents of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of France had a phone conversation, discussing the most important bilateral, regional and international issues.

News ID: ۷۸۰۶۶۲

28 November 2017

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had a phone call with the President of France, Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday and appreciated the French government, people and president for their message of condolence over recent earthquake in Kermanshah.

According to ISNA, he said that Iran was ready to deepen ties with France in all fields of mutual interest based on mutual respect and common interests.

The president further referred to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and commended the efforts of France and the European Union to consolidate the international treaty, saying: "From the point of view of Iran, on the one hand, full and accurate implementation of the JCPOA is an important test for other important international cooperation and, on the other hand, adding or removing parts from the JCPOA will lead to the collapse of this agreement".

The president also congratulated the collapse of ISIS' major bases, as the largest and most dangerous terrorist group in the region and the world, saying: "The main purpose of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the region is to fight terrorism, and we believe that after ISIS, the rest of the terrorist groups must be fought with".

"Our presence in Iraq and Syria has been at the official invitation of the governments of these countries and to fight terrorism," Dr. Rouhani said, adding: "As we have repeatedly emphasized, Iran does not seek to dominate in the region. Iran's goal is to help bring peace and security to the region and prevent division of countries, and in our opinion, in all the countries of the region, the main decision-makers in the region are its people".

The president said that the adventures that some inexperienced princes in the region are looking for in the region were to the detriment of the entire region, saying: "We are against adventure seeking and division in this region, and we believe that France, with its place in the region and by keeping its independence of vote, can play a constructive role by a realistic and impartial approach".

Emphasizing that everyone in the region should be careful not to enter the Israeli game, Rouhani said: "Hezbollah is a part the Lebanese people and is very popular in this country, and its weapon is merely defensive and for use against potential attacks on Lebanon".

He added: "Now, we must all try to ensure that the Lebanese groups can work together in security to have a government that will contribute to the progress of their country".

The president also referred to the developments in Yemen and said: "We hope that the siege and bombing of Yemen will be stopped and groundwork will be provided for a Yemeni-Yemen negotiation to restore full security to the country."

Rouhani called for opening of a route to deliver medicine and food to the Yemeni people in the current situation, adding: "Our main concern must be the situation of millions of Yemenis who are losing their lives due to the lack of medicine and food".

The French president also called for the need for the development of Tehran-Paris cooperation in all fields of mutual interest and said that all countries should work to protect the JCPOA, and that France is fully committed to this agreement".