FM Zarif: EU Not Doing Enough
TEHRAN (Dispatches) -- The European Union is not doing enough to preserve the benefits for Iran from the 2015 international nuclear pact following the withdrawal of the United States, Iran's foreign minister told the EU's energy chief on Sunday.
"With the withdrawal of America, (Iran's) public expectations from the European Union have increased in order to maintain the deal's gains, and in the current context, the European political support for the accord is not sufficient," Muhammad Javad Zarif told Miguel Arias Canete here.
Since President Donald Trump announced on May 8 that he would pull the United States out of the deal, EU leaders have pledged to try to keep Iran’s oil trade and investment flowing, but have refused to give concrete guarantees.
"We have to preserve this agreement so we don't have to negotiate a new agreement," Arias Canete told Western journalist after two days of meetings with Iranian officials in Tehran.
"Our message is very clear. This is a nuclear agreement that works."
Under the deal, Tehran agreed to curb its nuclear work in return for the lifting of Western sanctions.
With the threat of new U.S. sanctions looming over them, some foreign firms have already started signaling their intention to pull back from Iran.
"The announcement of the possible withdrawal by major European companies from their cooperation with Iran is not consistent with the European Union's commitment to implementing (the nuclear deal)," Zarif was quoted as saying.
Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, also cast doubt at the Europeans’ sincerity following "contradictory” statements made by the bloc’s officials regarding the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Velayati said while some EU officials claim to be committed to the JCPOA, the bloc is refusing to give guarantees and stand against the U.S.
"Some European officials say they are not supposed to stand up to America and give guarantees," he told reporters here.
"These contradictions in the comments of European officials raise doubts. We hope that our authorities could get the necessary guarantees in their negotiations" with the Europeans, Velayati said, adding "a duplicitous side, which makes contradictory remarks, cannot be trusted."
Velayati touched on French oil giant Total's threat to quit Iran, saying the company was a good case in point after it announced to have suspended its $2 billion project in the Islamic Republic.
Tehran has said it would make a decision on its future role in the nuclear agreement in the coming weeks following negotiations with the other signatories of the deal.
"With the withdrawal of America, (Iran's) public expectations from the European Union have increased in order to maintain the deal's gains, and in the current context, the European political support for the accord is not sufficient," Muhammad Javad Zarif told Miguel Arias Canete here.
Since President Donald Trump announced on May 8 that he would pull the United States out of the deal, EU leaders have pledged to try to keep Iran’s oil trade and investment flowing, but have refused to give concrete guarantees.
"We have to preserve this agreement so we don't have to negotiate a new agreement," Arias Canete told Western journalist after two days of meetings with Iranian officials in Tehran.
"Our message is very clear. This is a nuclear agreement that works."
Under the deal, Tehran agreed to curb its nuclear work in return for the lifting of Western sanctions.
With the threat of new U.S. sanctions looming over them, some foreign firms have already started signaling their intention to pull back from Iran.
"The announcement of the possible withdrawal by major European companies from their cooperation with Iran is not consistent with the European Union's commitment to implementing (the nuclear deal)," Zarif was quoted as saying.
Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, also cast doubt at the Europeans’ sincerity following "contradictory” statements made by the bloc’s officials regarding the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Velayati said while some EU officials claim to be committed to the JCPOA, the bloc is refusing to give guarantees and stand against the U.S.
"Some European officials say they are not supposed to stand up to America and give guarantees," he told reporters here.
"These contradictions in the comments of European officials raise doubts. We hope that our authorities could get the necessary guarantees in their negotiations" with the Europeans, Velayati said, adding "a duplicitous side, which makes contradictory remarks, cannot be trusted."
Velayati touched on French oil giant Total's threat to quit Iran, saying the company was a good case in point after it announced to have suspended its $2 billion project in the Islamic Republic.
Tehran has said it would make a decision on its future role in the nuclear agreement in the coming weeks following negotiations with the other signatories of the deal.