Iranian Foreign Minister Hussein Amirabdollahian has announced that a favorable outcome of the talks aimed at reviving Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers, technically known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), will be achieved only after all parties to the deal fully commit to their obligations.
Amirabdollahian made the announcement at a press conference held in Japan on Monday.
Speaking about indirect talks between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States, the foreign minister said exchange of prisoners between Iran and the US is a humane issue about which the two sides have held negotiations several times in the past months.
In May 2018, the US under the presidency of Donald Trump did unilaterally leave the JCPOA which had been signed in July 2015 between Iran and world powers and imposed the sanctions on the Islamic Republic. Tehran has repeatedly announced that the US should first lift its anti-Iran sanctions if it wants to return to the deal.
About his visit to Japan, Amirabdollahian said it is in line with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s policy of expanding relations with friendly Asian countries including Japan.
Cultural ties between Iran and Japan go back to over a millennium ago and diplomatic cooperation between the two has more than nine decades of history, he said, adding that Tehran sees such record as a strong base for expansion of bilateral relations.
On the issue of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the Iranian foreign minister said the Islamic Republic has a firm policy on the issue and believes that war is not a solution to disputes.
From the outset of the war in Ukraine, top Iranian officials stressed the importance of putting an stop to the conflict while Tehran also made efforts to help the two sides return to the dialogue, Amirabdollahian underlined.
Meanwhile, as he noted, Iran views the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and its provocative measures as the main root of crisis and war.
Elsewhere, he highlighted Iran’s defense capabilities have provided the country and the region with with better security.
On the accusations about the use of Iranian drones by Russia in the war in Ukraine, the foreign minister said although Tehran and Moscow have had defense cooperation in recent years, the country has never delivered its weapons or drones to Russia for use in Ukraine.
He added that a report released in Japan has confirmed that the main part of weapons being used in Ukraine has been supplied by the US and some Western countries.
“Iran has never given any kind of drone to any sides to be used in Ukraine,” said the top Iranian diplomat.
During the several meetings held between Iranian and Ukrainian officials in third countries, no acceptable documents have been presented to substantiate the accusations against Iran, Amirabdollahian stressed.
In his remarks, the foreign minister said the US and Western allies should stop making baseless accusations against the Islamic Republic.
“I think the common stance of Iran and Japan on the Ukrainian conflict is (to seek) an end of war and to focus on peace,” he said.
Replying to a question about Japan’s role in the Middle East region and the future of Iran-Japan ties, the foreign minister said the Islamic Republic has always remained positive about Japan’s constructive role in regional developments.
As Amirabdollahian underlined, Iran expects Japan to support policies to ensure regional security through capabilities and potentials of countries in the region.
The Iranian foreign minister arrived in the Japanese capital Tokyo late on Sunday to hold talks with top officials of the country and to discuss international, regional and bilateral issues.
Source: Agencies
