Iran FM urges UK to settle its outstanding debts immediately

AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian called on the UK to settle its outstanding debts to Iran immediately.

In a telephone conversation on Monday, Amirabdollahian and UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss talked about various issues, including Tehran-London relations, the Vienna talks on the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal, and regional developments.

Pointing to the UK’s outstanding debt to Iran that dates back to the past decades, Amirabdollahian said it is the Iranian nation’s right to reclaim that money and stressed the need for London to act immediately in order to pay off the debt as soon as possible.   

He also noted that most of the trade agreements between Iran and the UK, struck after the JCPOA, have not been implemented, calling on London to step up efforts to promote trade and facilitate financial interaction with Tehran.

Holding the US responsible for the current circumstances after its withdrawal from the JCPOA, the Iranian foreign minister said certain parties are also to blame for aggravating the situation with their irresponsibility and silence on the US’ measures.

The Vienna talks on the revival of the JCPOA will meet with success if all of the sanctions on Iran are lifted, all parties return to their commitments, the necessary guarantees are given that the results of the negotiations will be carried out, and the other side’s measures are verifiable, Amirabdollahian stated.

He said one of the subjects that the JCPOA parties had committed to do was the normalization of trade relations with Iran, stressing that it must be fully met in the Vienna talks.

The top Iranian diplomat also pointed to a number of other issues in the conversation, including the need for the delivery of international humanitarian aid to the people of Afghanistan, the necessity for the formation of an inclusive Afghan government, the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Yemen and the need for the cessation of blockade on Yemenis, the need to support stability in Lebanon, and the deplorable violation of human rights in Bahrain.

For her part, the UK foreign secretary expressed satisfaction with the decision on a date for the meeting of the JCPOA Joint Commission, saying the European troika –the UK, France and Germany- are serious and willing to achieve progress in the upcoming negotiations.

The two senior diplomats also talked about the consular affairs between Iran and the UK.



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