Iran, Europe stress continuation of sanctions-removal talks

Iranian Foreign Minister and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy held a phone call Monday to stress need for continuing talks on lifting of the anti-Iran sanctions.

News ID: ۸۳۲۶۷۴

25 March 2024

EghtesadOnline: Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell in a telephone conversation on Monday reviewed the latest status of important regional and international issues and the relations between Iran and the European bloc.

The two sides emphasized the importance of continuing talks and meetings for lifting the sanctions.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran has had a clear position on regional issues from the beginning and we have clearly said that resorting to war is not the solution," Amir-Abdollahian said.

The Iranian foreign minister called the repetition of claims about sending Iranian weapons to be used against Ukraine as boring and baseless claims and unfounded story-telling.

Referring to the continuous talks and contacts between Borrel's deputy Enrique Mora and Iran's deputy foreign minister Ali Bagheri Kani, the top Iranian diplomat stated that the Islamic Republic of Iran is determined to continue constructive cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and, in return, it seriously expects the western parties to fully abide by their commitments towards nuclear negotiations and the lifting of anti-Iran sanctions.

Borrell, for his part, stated that the conclusion of the nuclear negotiations is still one of the priorities of the EU, and emphasized the necessity of continuing to follow up the nuclear talks and the talks on the removal of the sanctions.

According to Press TV, elsewhere in the telephone conversation, Amir-Abdollahian commended Borrell's stance on the necessity to end Israel's genocidal war and dispatch humanitarian aid to the besieged Palestinian territory.

“The time is ripe to take punitive measures against the Israeli regime,” Amir-Abdollahian said of the responsibility of the international community and the European Union vis-à-vis the Palestinian issue.

He also called for the formation of an international fact-finding mission to investigate the crimes of Israel, including at the Shifa Hospital.

Amir-Abdollahian said the United States and certain European countries continue to send weapons to Israel to commit acts of genocide in Gaza, while they send humanitarian aid to the besieged Palestinian territory in a symbolic move.

During the conversation, Borrell said the European Union plans to continue the dispatch of humanitarian assistance to Gaza and support measures by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and the UN bids to establish a lasting ceasefire.

The senior EU diplomat once again voiced his opposition to Israel's plan to carry out a ground invasion of the city of Rafah and criticized the Tel Aviv regime for keeping civilians in hunger. / Mehr