In a Sunday meeting with the visiting President of the Luxembourg Chamber of Deputies, Mars Di Bartolomeo, in Tehran, Rouhani described the Iranian nuclear agreement, dubbed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as a “great achievement” for diplomacy.

“The message of the agreement was that complicated issues can be solved through dialog,” said the Iranian president.

Rouhani said that the implementation of the JCPOA has paved the ground for Iran and Luxembourg to expand their relations.

The Iranian president further pointed to terrorism as a serious threat to the world, calling for unity to counter the scourge.

He expressed the Islamic Republic’s readiness to cooperate with the world countries, including Luxembourg, in the settlement of key regional issues.

For his part, Di Bartolomeo called for the enhancement of bilateral ties between Tehran and Luxembourg City.

He also congratulated Iran on the nuclear talks and the beginning of the implementation of the JCPOA, saying the agreement will help the promotion of peace and stability in the world.

Only dialog can solve Mideast crises: Velayati

Di Bartolomeo also held a meeting with Ali-Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on international affairs, on Sunday, during which the two officials underlined the need for a ceasefire as well as talks between warring parties to end the conflicts in Syria and Yemen.

Ali-Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on international affairs, (R) shakes hands with President of the Luxembourg Chamber of Deputies, Mars Di Bartolomeo, in Tehran on January 17, 2016. (IRNA photo)

Velayati said “all have come to the conclusion that the crises in Syria, Yemen and Iraq have no military solution and the only way to end the conflicts, particularly in Syria, is dialog among involved parties.”

Di Bartolomeo, for his part, called for the cooperation of all countries in the world to combat terrorism.
 

Sanctions removal must be carried out precisely: Iran FM

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the termination of sanctions imposed on Iran over its nuclear program must be carried out in strict accordance with the nuclear agreement reached between Tehran and the P5+1 group of countries.

In a Sunday meeting with the visiting President of the Luxembourg Chamber of Deputies, Mars Di Bartolomeo, in Tehran, Zarif expressed hope that “the issue of the removal of sanctions [against Iran] would be carried out strictly” in line with the nuclear agreement.

On Saturday, Zarif and Federica Mogherini, the European Union foreign policy chief, read out a joint statement in the Austrian capital, Vienna, announcing that the JCPOA had indeed come into force.

Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States – plus Germany had finalized the JCPOA in Vienna on July 14, 2015.

In his meeting with Di Bartolomeo, Zarif also emphasized the need for promotion of rations between Iran and Luxembourg, calling for the setting up of joint ventures between the two countries.

Touching upon the crisis in Syria, Zarif said only “political and peaceful” means can settle the crisis in the Arab country.

“Unlike others, the Islamic Republic of Iran doesn’t want those countries which can contribute to the peaceful settlement of the conflict [in Syria] to be marginalized in the peace process in Syria,” he said.

The comments come as diplomatic efforts are underway at the international level to help resolve the deadly turmoil in Syria which has claimed over 260,000 lives since 2011.

Three rounds of UN-backed negotiations have so far been held in Vienna and New York on the situation in Syria since last October. A fourth session is also scheduled to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, in late January.