Former French FM Sees Bright Future for Tehran-Paris Ties
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Former French Foreign Minister Herve de Charette said there is considerable scope for the development of bilateral relations between Iran and his country in future, saying the both sides have strong political will to foster closer ties.
De Charette made the remarks on the sidelines of a meeting with Ali Akbar Velayati, a top international adviser to Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, here in Tehran on Saturday.
“I am very optimistic about the future, and I am sure that in the future days and in the future eras you will see that there is very positive news on the enhancement of relations between Iran and France,” the visiting French told reporters.
As regards the reason behind his mood of great optimism, de Charette explained that “the two sides’ political will is based upon” an improvement in the bilateral relations.
Asked about the possible return of French automakers to the Iranian market, de Charette said in case Iran shows willingness, the big French companies and industrial giants will certainly flock into the country.
“As a person who is familiar with the international issues… I believe that there is ground for the two countries’ relations to find the right path after several years,” he explained.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who took the office in August 2013, has on numerous occasions, including in his UN General Assembly address, noted that his government is after constructive and peaceful interaction with the whole world.
"We will seek effective and constructive understanding and interaction with the outside world, focus on mutual confidence building with our neighbors and other regional and international actors... We will work on easing and removing tensions in our foreign relations and strengthening our relationship with our traditional and new partners in all regions," Rouhani told the UN in September last year.
President Rouhani also met with his French counterpart Francois Hollande on the sidelines of the 68th annual session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Meanwhile, executives from a number of biggest French companies, including energy giants GDF Suez SA and Alstom SA, are scheduled to visit Iran next month.
The visit which signals a fresh wave of corporate interest in Iran comes after the Islamic Republic and the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) in November 2013 signed a six-month deal on Tehran’s nuclear program in the Swiss city of Geneva after several rounds of tight negotiations.
Based on the interim deal (the Joint Plan of Action), the world powers agreed to suspend some non-essential sanctions and to impose no new nuclear-related bans in return for Tehran's decision to freeze parts of its nuclear activities and to allow more inspection of its nuclear facilities.
The Geneva deal, which has come into effect since January 20, also stipulates that over the course of six months, Iran and the six countries will draw up a comprehensive nuclear deal which will lead to a lifting of the whole sanctions on Iran.
