PARIS – French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian yesterday called on Tehran to be “constructive” in next week’s talks with world powers in Vienna.
The European Union is pushing to bring United States President Joe Biden’s administration back into the nuclear accord to limit Iran’s ambitions.
The US will not take part directly in the discussions, which will also involve China, Germany, Russia and Britain.
But for the first time since former president Donald Trump pulled out of the Iran agreement in 2018, a US delegation will be present.
The 2015 nuclear deal saw Iran granted relief from international sanctions in exchange for accepting limits on its programme aimed at easing fears it could acquire atomic weapons.
Biden has promised to rejoin the agreement on the condition that Iran first returns to respecting the commitments it abandoned in retaliation for Trump pulling out and reimposing swingeing sanctions.
Le Drian spoke to his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif yesterday and “welcomed the coming resumption in Vienna of discussions on the nuclear dossier”.
He also “encouraged Iran to be constructive in the discussions... to identify in the coming weeks what needs to be done for a full return to respecting the agreement”, said Le Drian in a statement.
“France will take part in a pragmatic, and at the same time, demanding way.
“I called on Iran to refrain from any further violation of its current commitments in the nuclear field likely to damage the dynamics of a resumption of discussions.”
Zarif tweeted that during the conversation, he “called on France to honour its commitments under the accord, and to cease abiding by illegal sanctions imposed by the US”.
Tehran said Washington has to end sanctions before it will make any moves to get back in line, and has refused to hold direct negotiations with the US.
US State Department spokesman Ned Price called the Vienna talks a “healthy step forward”, and said Washington “remains open” to a direct encounter with Tehran. – AFP, April 4, 2021
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