Speaking in the third round of Iran-Sweden political consultations in Tehran on Sunday, Söder touched upon the nuclear deal Iran signed with six world powers back in 2015 known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
She said the deal has a message of security and non-proliferation, so Europe unanimously supports its preservation and implementation.
Every effort should be made and all opportunities should be utilized in order to keep the JCPOA alive, she said.
Söder expressed hope the US government will, as a result of the international attempts and moves underway, decide to respect the JCPOA.
She also underlined her country’s determination to continue consultations, cooperation and interaction with Iran in various bilateral, regional and international domains.
For his part, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Seyyed Abbas Araqchi emphasized the importance of preserving and implementing the JCPOA amid the enhancement of cooperation and exchanges in different arenas.
“The fate of the JCPOA, which is a major diplomatic accomplishment on the international stage, is in jeopardy due to the Trump administration’s bullying behaviour and breaches of commitments,” said the top official.
“Before anything else, the JCPOA is a security pact in the domain of non-proliferation, and any move to counter it would undermine the non-proliferation system and deepen and intensify crises in the region and put us in a dilemma of choosing between security or insecurity,” he said.
“Other parties to the JCPOA, especially the Europeans, are naturally expected to make every effort, both in word and in deed, to help realize the objectives of the agreement, which could lead to the establishment of real peace and stability, especially in the region,” Araqchi said.
He underscored that any attempt to link the JCPOA with other issues and the adoption of the policy of sympathizing with and granting awards to the one that has violated the JCPOA, i.e. the US, emanate from wrong understandings and approaches and will further complicate the situation in the region and in the whole world.
He said the JCPOA is an experience and a major historic choice, and its success is contingent upon concerted efforts and common support that would guarantee the interests of the whole world.
Europe Must Make US Fulfill Its JCPOA Commitments
Earlier in the day, Söder also held talks with Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. During the talks, the two sides also exchanged views on the Iran nuclear deal, US President Donald Trump’s threats to withdraw from the agreement, developments in Yemen, and the current situation in Syria.
Zarif elaborated on Tehran’s viewpoints about regional and international issues and about Trump’s position on the JCPOA.
“Europe should try more to preserve the JCPOA and make the US fulfill its obligations,” said the top Iranian diplomat.
The Swedish official, in turn, stressed the need to preserve the benefits and achievements of the JCPOA.
ifpThanks to the Greek Embassy in Tehran, the Greek Cultural Institute has attended the event, exhibiting books by renowned Greek writers and literary figures both in Persian and Greek. Nikolaos Doukas, the Greek economic attaché in Tehran and director of the country’s pavilion at the 31st Tehran International Book Fair, told IBNA that writers of Ancient Greece are embraced by Iranian visitors. He said authorities at the Greek pavilion were surprised by the enthusiasm of Iranians.
South Korea is another exhibitor at the international section of the 31st Tehran International Book Fair. This year, the country is only exhibiting children’s books, the most important of which is titled “The Yellow Ones” in which stories are narrated for children in simple language. The writer of the book was present at the pavilion during recent days and explained about his book to visitors and publishers. He also answered visitors’ questions.
Two books entitled “A Collection of Hafez’s Poems in Hungarian” and “A Comprehensive Persian Language Course in Hungarian” were also unveiled at the book fair. A Hungarian cultural figure said at the unveiling ceremony that he was mesmerized by the book fair. He said new books are displayed at the event and that he was proud to be there.
Ali Abbas Abdulhussein, a university lecturer and the head of the Kufa University Press, said on the sidelines of the event that the book fair organized by Iran is a good opportunity for exchanging views and narrowing the gap between the viewpoints of the scientists and researchers of different countries. He described the Islamic Republic of Iran as a pioneer in the domains of dialogue among civilizations, proximity among religions and further consolidating the ranks of Muslims to stand up to the enemies of Islam, particularly the US and Israel.
Mohammad Sharareh, the director of the Lebanese pavilion at the book fair, said people’s purchasing power has, unfortunately, dropped this year due the rise in the exchange rate for foreign currency. So, he added, people are unable to buy the books they need, and that the government should support people more.
