“EU’s €18m Iran Budget Not Related to Its Package to Save JCPOA”

Qassemi said on Thursday that the €18 million European budget is within the framework of Iran’s cooperation with the EU, and is not related to the economic package due to be proposed by the EU within the framework of the JCPOA.

In response to a question raised by a reporter, Qassemi noted that the European Commission allocated €18 million on Thursday for the implementation of development projects in Iran, which is the first portion of a €50 million budget allocated for this purpose by the Commission.

Qassemi added that the EU’s foreign policy chief and Iran’s foreign minister signed a joint statement on April 16, 2016, which will monitor the cooperation between the Iranian parties and the European Commission as the executive arm of the European Union.

“Following the exchange of high-level delegations, these collaborations have entered practical stages in various fields, such as agriculture, immigration, industry and higher education.”

The European Commission, in turn, contributes significantly to strengthening cooperation between the EU and the Islamic Republic, added Qassemi.

“Supporting small and medium-size companies and providing technical assistance to Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization are part of this project.”

The Iranian parties are expected to cooperate with the International Trade Centre, EU member states and other organisations to implement the project, he went on to say.

The European Union agreed to allocate an €18 million budget in aid for Iran. This is part of the €50 million that the bloc has earmarked for the Islamic Republic in its budget.

After the withdrawal of the US President Donald Trump from the nuclear deal with Iran, the European Union was supposed to propose an aid package to make up for Washington’s breaking of the deal.