Iran instrumental in fight against terrorism in Mideast: FM

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the Islamic Republic has played a leading role in fighting terrorism and extremism in the Middle East.

In a meeting with Yves Rossier, the state secretary at the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), in Tehran on Tuesday, Zarif expressed Iran’s readiness to improve its interaction with regional countries, particularly neighboring states, in combating terrorism.

The minister further said European countries are keen to strengthen cooperation with Iran, particularly in the economic area.

Rossier, for his part, welcomed the conclusion of nuclear talks between Iran and P5+1, saying Tehran and Bern should improve cooperation on bilateral, regional and international issues.

Iran and P5+1– the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia plus Germany – succeeded in finalizing the text of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in the Austrian capital of Vienna on July 14 after 18 days of intense negotiations that capped around 23 months of talks between Iran and the six world powers. The almost two-year negotiations were the culmination of over a decade of intermittent diplomatic efforts.

The United Nations Security Council on Monday unanimously endorsed a draft resolution turning the JCPOA into international law. All 15 members of the body voted for the draft UN resolution in New York, setting the stage for the lifting of the Security Council sanctions against Iran.