TEHRAN (FNA)- Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo stressed his country’s readiness to develop economic and trade relations with Iran, and called on the European states to lift the sanctions against Tehran.


“Spain is ready to expand its trade and economic relations with Iran once the sanctions are removed,” Garcia-Margallo was quoted as saying by the Lebanese daily el-Nashrah on Tuesday.

He called on other European countries to take the necessary measures to lift the sanctions against Iran in an active and transparent manner.

Spain is among the European states which have sustained much financial loss from the US-led embargos against Iran. The country imported 14% of its crude oil resources from Iran before the sanctions.

In a relevant development, the European Union (EU) voiced readiness yesterday to ease some anti-Iran sanctions as soon as inspectors form the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirm that the country has started implementation of the recently sealed nuclear deal between Tehran and the six major world powers in Geneva.

In a Monday meeting, foreign ministers of the 28-nation bloc expressed support for the deal reached on November 24 in Geneva as "a long-awaited signal of the commitment of all sides to build trust and reduce tensions" over Iran’s nuclear program.

"A swift implementation of the voluntary measures by all sides is now a key," the EU ministers said in their statement.

"Iran has to implement its commitments in good faith. For its part, the (EU) Council is committed to take the necessary steps and to suspend those EU sanctions as set out in the Joint Plan of Action,” they added.

According to the statement, sanctions will be suspended after inspectors from the IAEA verify the implementation of nuclear-related measures by Iran.

On November 24, Iran and the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) sealed an interim deal in the Swiss city of Geneva to lay the groundwork for the full resolution of the dispute between the West and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear energy program.

In exchange for Iran agreeing to limit certain aspects of its nuclear activities, the six countries undertook to lift some of the existing sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

By Fars News Agency

 

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