Agenda of French FM’s Talks in Iran Not Fixed Yet: Spokesman
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said the agenda of talks with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian during his upcoming visit to the Islamic republic has not been determined yet.
Speaking to reporters at his weekly press conference in Tehran on Monday, Qassemi said the French foreign minister is slated to pay an official visit to Iran.
As for the issues planned to be discussed in Le Drian’s meetings with Iranian officials, the spokesman said the agenda of the talks have not been determined yet.
However, he added, a wide range of issues, including bilateral relations between Tehran and Paris as well as the latest regional developments would be discussed in the meetings.
Le Drian said on Sunday that he would visit Iran on March 5.
He said he would discuss the latest developments about the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers in his trip to the Iranian capital.
The French minister added that he would also raise the issue of Iran’s ballistic missile program as well as what he called Iran’s “destabilizing military influence in the Middle East” during his upcoming meetings.
“If Iran wants to return to the concert of nations, it must cooperate on these questions,” said Le Drian, who postponed his trip to Tehran earlier this month.
“Otherwise, it will with reason always be suspected of wanting to develop nuclear weapons,” he claimed.
Senior Iranian officials have repeatedly said that the country’s missile program is purely defensive, stressing that it is not up to France or any other country to make decisions about its ballistic missile program.
Last month, Tehran advised Paris to be careful in its views about the Islamic Republic after French President Emmanuel Macron called for talks on Iran’s ballistic missiles.
