Rouhani, May call for closer coop. on bilateral, regional issues

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani held talks with the British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday on the sidelines of the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly in New York, during which he welcomed the strong support of the Union and the United Kingdom for the nuclear deal dubbed JCPOA.

"The JCPOA was reached thanks to the painstaking efforts of seven countries, and all of these countries should be fully committed to preserving it,” Rouhani stressed.

The president went on to highlight the importance of the UK's support of the JCPOA, saying "everyone needs to do their best for sustainability of the nuclear deal and the interests of all sides, especially now that the world is trying to decide whether diplomacy and consensus can be successful for solving problems."

Rouhani also called for facilitating proper banking cooperation as an important step in the development of economic relations between the two sides, before switching to topics on the latest developments in the region. 

"Tehran is ready to engage in constructive cooperation with the United Kingdom on regional issues," said Rouhani, stressing Tehran's constructive and positive role in combating regional terrorism.

Rouhani noted the efforts to stabilize Iraq and to drive terrorists out of the Arab country, saying "in Iraq, the first important issue was to drive out the terrorists, a plan that is progressing well. The second issue is close cooperation between the country’s Shias, Sunnis and Kurds, and the third issue is to keep the geographical boundaries of Iraq as they are.”

The president voiced concern over the decision by the Iraqi Kurdistan Region to hold a referendum on independence, saying "declaring independence means the instigation of a new war in the region, and Baghdad, Ankara, Tehran and Damascus are opposed to this plan. We hope that the UK will play a constructive role in this regard.”

"We are in favor of a better life for the Kurds, but their demands should be pursued within the framework of unity, territorial integrity and the Constitution of Iraq,” Rouhani stressed.

President Rouhani further discussed the situation in Yemen, calling for the establishment of a truce and a stop to the bombings, the delivery of humanitarian aid, and the commence of Yemeni-Yemeni talks aimed at stabilizing the country.

The British prime minister, for her part, also called for the development of Tehran-London relations and voiced strong support for the nuclear deal; "I explicitly stated at the UN General Assembly that the nuclear deal was a very important agreement, and we are determined to pursue it. We must make sure that no measures are taken to threaten its successful implementation, and that the arrangements continue to remain as anticipated,” she added.

She went on to call for the commitment of all parties to the deal, including the United States, to fulfil their obligations.

 Theresa May also highlighted her country’s resolve to remove obstacles to banking transactions with Iran.

Noting the current issues in the Middle East, May underscored Britain’s belief in political solutions for settling regional problems.

"We want all minorities and groups in Iraq to live together and have representatives in the Iraqi government,” she added.