Rouhani Chides Germany in First Meeting with Merkel

President Rouhani and German leader Merkel held their first meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.

In the long-awaited meeting, Rouhani and Merkel discussed the ways to maintain and boost the economic relations and cooperation between Tehran and Berlin, to save the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, and to reduce tensions in the region.

They also talked about Iran’s new initiative for regional peace and security in the Persian Gulf, known as the “Hormuz Peace Endeavour”, considering the critical conditions across the region.

Hailing Germany as one of Iran’s major partners, President Rouhani called for efforts to continue the old and friendly ties between the two countries.

Rouhani, however, dismissed the “groundless accusations” that Germany, France and the UK have levelled against Iran in a recent statement at the UN.

He also stressed that all parties to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal were duty-bound to honour the JCPOA and salvage the important international agreement after the US unilaterally withdrew from the accord in 2018.

For her part, Merkel reaffirmed support for the continuation of the JCPOA, and called for the removal of sanctions against Iran.

She also noted that Germany and the other European states were determined to carry out INSTEX, a payment channel that the three European parties to the JCPOA (Germany, France, and the UK) have established to maintain trade with Iran.

Merkel further noted the Berlin would eagerly consider Iran’s initiative for peace, stressing that her country supports any prudent measure for the reduction of tensions in the region.

The Iranian president has already held meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and Japan’s Prime Minister Abe Shinzo in New York.

In one of the other meetings with a European leader, Rouhani held talks with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Tuesday.

In the get-together, held at the residence of President Rouhani, they talked about the regional issues and the expansion of ties between Tehran and Madrid.

In his address to the General Assembly on Wednesday, the Iranian president is going to propose a plan for regional peace and security, known as the “Hormuz Peace Endeavour.”