29 Mar 2024
Monday 17 September 2018 - 14:43
Story Code : 319895

Iran 'has received new trade proposals from Europe'

Press TV - Iran has received new proposals from Europe that would potentially meet its demand for practical guarantees for continued trade and keep Iran in a nuclear deal with five world powers, says the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, amid attempts by the United States to derail that agreement.

Speaking at a regular press briefing at the Iranian Foreign Ministry in Tehran on Monday, Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said previous proposals by Europe had failed to guaranteethat Iran would continue to be able to sell its oil at desired levels and have access to the international financial market.
"The past proposals were partially unworkable, or lacked the necessary guarantees; we put them aside," Qassemi said. "Alternative proposals were made; and we're looking for mechanisms that would enable [continued] economic cooperation between Iran and Europe [in the face of US restrictions]."
He expressed hope that the new proposals would go far enough in satisfying Iranian demands.

Iran reached a deal with originally six world powers in 2015, agreeing to curb its nuclear program in return for mainly the lifting of restrictions on its oil sales.

While the former US administration with which Iran negotiated largely adhered to its commitments under the deal, the current administration of President Donald Trump chose to unilaterally stop implementing American obligations and ultimately withdrew from it on May 8.

The Trump administration also reintroduced the previous sanctions and imposed new ones on the Islamic Republic. It also introduced punitive measures known as secondary sanctions against third countries doing business with Iran.

Despite the American withdrawal, Iran stayed in the deal but stressed that the other parties to the agreement now had to work to offset the negative impacts of the US pullout for Iran if they wanted Tehran to continue to remain in it.

A first round of American sanctions targeting Iranian access to the US dollar, metals trading, coal, industrial software, and auto sector took effect in August.

A second round, forthcoming on November 4, will be targeting Irans oil sales and its Central Bank.

Europe has been taking a range of measures to meet the Iranian demand for practical guarantees.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="555"] EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini (L) and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (C) take part in a ministerial meeting on the Iran nuclear deal in Vienna, Austria, on July 6, 2018. (Photo by AFP)[/caption]

But Iran has said Europe must act more swiftly.

Qassemi said technical contacts between the two sides were underway and were happening at a faster pace.

He hoped that a ministerial meeting would be held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly this year between Iran and the five other remaining parties to the deal known as the 4+1 "so that we can move on to newer stages."

"But of course, one has to be patient," he said.

The EU has activateda blocking statute to protect European businesses from the secondary US sanctions. Nevertheless, a number of European companies have been leaving the Iranian market for fear of US punishment.

On Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told the German news magazine Der Spiegel that it was time for the Europeans and the other parties to the deal to act.

The agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, was originally struck between Iran on the one side and the US, the UK, France, Germany, Russia, and China on the other.
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