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Iran and France will hold at least one meeting between foreign ministers every year

This agreement was reached during French Foreign Minister's first visit to Iran for the last 17 years
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif
© EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH

PARIS, July 30. /TASS/. Iran and France have agreed that they will hold one meeting at the level of foreign ministers every year, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Thursday after his visit to Iran.

"The visit was kind of a premiere since French foreign ministers have not made official visits to Iran for the last 17 years. Recent signing of the agreement [on Iran’s nuclear program] in Vienna made such visit especially important. One of the results of the visit was reaching an agreement that Iran and France will hold at least one meeting at the level of foreign ministers every year," Fabius said.

"It was a useful visit, but agreements were not reached on all existing problems," Fabius continued. "We discussed issues connected with the deal on Iran’s nuclear program, regional issues — in connection with the fact that Iran is really active in the region. We also discussed prospects of bilateral relations," he concluded.

Iran is also actively developing cooperation with the European Union. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif told a press conference on Tuesday that Iranian authorities will resume negotiations with the European Union on a broad range of issues. Consultations will focus on "energy, transport, trade, environment protection, observation of human rights and fight against drug trafficking," Zarif said.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said that the agreement on Tehran’s nuclear program reached between P5+1 group (five permanent members of UN Security Council and Germany) and Iran paves a way for broad cooperation between Iran and other countries. Implementation of nuclear deal depends on the political will of the interested parties, she added.

UN Security Council endorses Iran nuclear deal

On July 20, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted the resolution in support of the agreement on Iran’s nuclear program. According to the document, all international sanctions will be lifted from Iran in 10 years if Tehran fulfills all conditions agreed with P5+1 group of international mediators (five permanent members of UN Security Council and Germany) in Vienna.

The resolution also envisages easing sanctions against Iran after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) submits a report confirming Tehran’s compliance with the terms of the deal. The UN Security Council also reinforced the mechanism of returning all restrictions in case Iran violates the terms of the agreement.