Iran Reminded France of Region’s Realities in Political Talks in Paris, Spokesman Says
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi slammed remarks made by French President Emmanuel Macron about the Islamic Republic last month and said the issue and other realities of the Middle East region were raised in recent bilateral talks in Paris.
Speaking at his weekly press conference in Tehran on Monday, Qassemi pointed to Macron’s anti-Tehran remarks in November and said, “Each (French) administration has its own characteristics.”
He added that the Macron administration has some features different from Francois Hollande’s administration.
The spokesman went on to say that Macron’s anti-Tehran comments have received their responses from Iran.
He further pointed to the fourth round of political talks between the Islamic Republic and the Western European country in Paris last week, and said in the talks, Iran reminded the French side that they should get more informed of the realities in the region, understand Iran’s regional role, and avoid adopting stances aimed at appeasing others.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Secretary General of France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maurice Gourdault-Montagne held the fourth round of political talks in Paris on Wednesday.
Last month, Macron suggested amending the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), despite eight International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reports which have confirmed Iran’s full compliance with the agreement.
The Iranian nuclear agreement “must be preserved” but “complemented with two pillars,” Macron said during his visit to the United Arab Emirates on November 9.
Later in the day, Macron made a surprise visit to Saudi Arabia, where he said he was “very concerned” by Iran’s ballistic missile program. “There are extremely strong concerns about Iran. There are negotiations we need to start on Iran’s ballistic missiles,” he said in Riyadh.
