Iran, EU Hold New Round of Political Talks

The negotiations, held in two sessions on Monday morning and evening in Brussels, were co-chaired by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Helga Maria Schmid, the Secretary General of the European External Action Service (EEAS).

Delegations representing Iran’s Parliament and Foreign Ministry and the European Commission were attending the talks, which revolved around Iran-EU cooperation in various fields such as agriculture, training and research, trade, energy, climate change, transportation, banking industry, and issues relating to migrants, drugs, natural disasters, human rights and the fight against terrorism.

The second session of the talks focused on regional issues.

In the opening of the talks, Araqchi underlined the importance of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal for international and regional peace and security.

Highlighting Iran’s full compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Araqchi called on the other signatories to the deal, particularly the EU members, to carry out their commitments after the US illegal withdrawal from the accord.

A failure by the JCPOA parties to honor their commitments under the deal will pose serious challenges to the international community, Araqchi said, warning that the Islamic Republic of Iran would make decisions on the issue with regard to its independence and interests.

The negotiations were held simultaneous with the third high-profile seminar on peaceful nuclear cooperation between Iran and the EU, co-chaired by Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Ali Akbar Salehi and the European Commission’s Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Union Miguel Arias Canete.

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