French President calls up Iranian counterpart Pezeshkian, discusses ties

Tehran, July 29 (IANS) French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday called up his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian and expressed his and other EU countries’ hope to enhance relations with Tehran.In the hour-long telephone conversation, Macron welcomed Pezeshkian’s approach of focusing on engagement and balance in foreign policy, and discussed various issues and topics, including negotiations to lift anti-Iran sanctions, the war in Ukraine, and the latest situation and developments in Gaza and Lebanon, Mehr News Agency reported.At the start of the phone conversation, Pezeshkian warned that the Israeli regime’s attack on Lebanon could have severe consequences for them.Citing the long-standing political relations and cultural relations between Iran and France, he said that that could lay the ground for the development of their diplomatic interactions and announced his country’s readiness to improve relations with France based on honesty and mutual trust.Declaring Iran’s readiness to continue JCPOA-related negotiations on the lifting of sanctions within the agreed framework, Pezeshkian stressed that Tehran expects other parties live up to all their commitments and to cease pressure and oppressive sanctions.The conversation between the French and Iranian Presidents came a day after Supreme Leader Seyyed Ali Khamenei, in the ceremony to endorse Pezeshkian as President, said that Iran’s priority is to maintain relations with its neighbours and the countries that “help expand Iran’s diplomacy”, such as African and Asian nations.European countries however are not on Iran’s priority list, not because of hostility towards them, but because these countries have not behaved toward Iran in a good manner in the past years, Ayatollah Khamenei held.Pezeshkian had himself, in an article titled “My message to the new world” soon after his victory in the run-off elections, noted that relations with Europe have “known its ups and downs”.”After the United States’ withdrawal from the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) in May 2018, European countries made eleven commitments to Iran to try to salvage the agreement and mitigate the impact of the United States’ unlawful and unilateral sanctions on our economy. These commitments involved ensuring effective banking transactions, effective protection of companies from U.S. sanctions, and the promotion of investments in Iran. European countries have reneged on all these commitments, yet unreasonably expect Iran to unilaterally fulfill all its obligations under the JCPOA,” he said.He noted that despite “these missteps, I look forward to engaging in constructive dialogue with European countries to set our relations on the right path, based on principles of mutual respect and equal footing”, stressing that the European countries “should realise that Iranians are a proud people whose rights and dignity can no longer be overlooked”.–IANSvd