Iran urges Europe ‘tangible’ steps to ease banking transactions

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif urges the European countries to take “concrete and necessary” steps to facilitate banking transactions.

“We expect the European sides to take necessary and tangible steps to facilitate banking transactions so that we will witness its effects on our country’s economy,” Zarif said in a meeting with Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius in Tehran on Saturday.

He added that certain steps have been taken to facilitate banking interactions between Iran and Europe.

Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – the United States, France, Britain, China and Russia – plus Germany signed a nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), on July 14, 2015.

Under the deal, which took effect on January 16, all nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran by the European Union, the Security Council and the US would be lifted. Iran has, in return, put some limitations on its nuclear activities.

Many large European banks refrain from engaging in transactions with Iran for fear of US sanctions.

US Secretary of State John Kerry on May 19 met with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and foreign ministers from France, Germany and the UK in Brussels, where they pledged to encourage companies to resume trade with Iran.

In a statement on the same day, the US, Britain, France and Germany said they were exploring various areas of cooperation with Iran, including the use of exports credits to boost trade, project financing and investment in Iran.

Zarif also hailed growing relations between Iran and Lithuania and expressed hope that the two countries would further expand political and parliamentary cooperation.

The Iranian foreign minister expressed his country’s readiness to take major steps towards the expansion of bilateral cooperation in different fields such as technology, energy, oil, agriculture, higher education and technical and engineering services in line with common interests.

Linkevicius, for his part, hailed positive relations between Tehran and Vilnius and said many Lithuanian companies are keen to strengthen cooperation with Iran in the sectors of energy and agriculture following the implementation of the JCPOA.

The Lithuanian foreign minister added that Iran plays a leading role in the region and called for the expansion of political, cultural and parliamentary interactions with Iran.

At the end of their meeting, the Iranian and Lithuanian foreign ministers signed an agreement to hold political consultations between the two countries.

The top Lithuanian diplomat is in Tehran at the head of a delegation to hold talks with senior Iranian officials about possible ways to strengthen cooperation in the fields of politics, economy, trade and culture. He held a meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday.

The latest security situation in the region and across the world and the campaign against terrorism and Daesh are top on the agenda of discussions between Iranian and Lithuanian officials.

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