FM Zarif:

Visit to Biarritz Displays Tehran’s Active Diplomacy

TEHRAN (defapress)- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that his visit to the French resort city of Biarritz was part of Tehran’s active diplomacy for constructive engagement, adding that he had extensive talks with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian.

News ID: 78493

Date: 26 August 2019 - 14:46

“Iran's active diplomacy in pursuit of constructive engagement continues,” Zarif tweeted very early on Monday, after he wrapped up his Sunday visit to Biarritz, where the G7 summit is taking place.

The top diplomat added that, during his half-a-day stay in the French city, he met with French President Emmanuel Macron after having extensive talks with Foreign Minister Le Drian and French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire.

According to Iran’s diplomatic chief, British and German top officails present in Biarritz were jointly briefed on the details of the talks.

“Road ahead is difficult. But worth trying,” Zarif said, concluding his post on his Twitter page.

On Sunday afternoon, Zarif flew to the French seaside resort of Biarritz that hosts the G-7 summit meeting in an unannounced trip ahead of his Southeast Asian tour.

"At the invitation of French Foreign Minister [Jean-Yves] Le Drian, Dr. Mohammad Javad Zarif, our country's foreign minister, arrived in Biarritz that hosts the G-7 summit meeting to continue consultations on the recent initiatives between the Iranian and French presidents," Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Abbas Mousavi wrote on Twitter on Sunday.

"There won't be any meeting or negotiations with the US delegation during this visit," he reiterated.

After a nearly weeklong visit to Europe, during which he held high-level talks with European officials in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Zarif met with French President Emmanuel Macron and Le Drian in Paris on Friday. The Iranian foreign minister told reporters, after his meeting with Macron, that he had constructive talks with the French head of state, but meantime reiterated that Tehran will never re-negotiate the nuclear deal of 2015, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Macron has made restarting negotiations with Iran a priority at the ongoing G-7 summit, after his Friday meeting with Zarif and earlier phone talks with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

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