Grounds laid for Iran, EU structure cooperation: Mogherini
The grounds for structured cooperation between Iran and the European Union have been laid, says EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini
Mogherini made the remarks on her website on Sunday, after returning from a trip to Tehran where she headed a
delegation of seven EU commissioners and met with Iran's high ranking officials
“We have touched on a number of sectors that are strategic for both sides: from energy to the economy, from culture to migration, from research to transports, from foreign policy to education,” she wrote
Mogherini’s recent trip was her second to Iran, the first being made directly after the implementation of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which was signed on July 14, 2015 following two and a half years of intensive talks between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China -- and Germany
“Yesterday’s visit has opened the way for this: the opportunities the deal has created can now be translated into concrete projects, in all sectors that matter to our citizens’ life,” she added
She noted that in the future structured dialogue will be held at a political level between Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and herself
“We will discuss how to solve too many regional crises tormenting the Middle East, how to best fight the terrorists of Daesh, how to stabilize Afghanistan,” she noted
“We might have differing views and positions, but only the road of dialogue and diplomacy leads to success – as the deal with Iran has shown. It has delivered concrete results, such as the deal’s implementation, and it has opened new possibilities for cooperation,” she wrote
After the JCPOA went into effect, all nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran by the European Union, the Security Council and the US were lifted. Iran has, in return, put some limitations on its nuclear activities
