TEHRAN – Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Monday that the U.S. administration is legally tasked to take care of Iranian assets.

“We have declared that we don’t recognize the U.S. court verdicts” and consider it as “illegal,” because it contradicts the international law, Zarif said in joint press conference with his Macedonian counterpart Nikola Poposki. 

“Should Iranian assets be plundered by the U.S. administration, Iran will file a complaint with the International Court of Justice for restitution and demand compensation,” Zarif stated.

Zarif went on to say that the assets belong to the Central Bank of Iran, which have been blocked under U.S. sanctions on Tehran.

“The more ridiculous thing,” Zarif expressed, “is that a U.S. court has held Iran responsible for the September 11 [2001] attacks,” which he said goes far to explain how politicized U.S. court decisions are.

Referring to the Iran-Macedonia relations, Zarif said Tehran established political ties with Skopje since the beginning of Macedonia’s independence, urging broader bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

Zarif also pointed to dialogues held between the two officials in areas of culture, politics and economics.  Promoting tourism was also featured in the talks, he added. 

Zarif added Macadonia, a country in the Balkan region, not only acts as a connecting point for Syrian and Iraqi refugees who enter other European countries but also is under threat of extremism.

Tehran-Skopje sign agreement for cultural cooperation

Thanking Iranian hospitality and open and honest discussions with officials in Tehran, Macedonian foreign minister said Iran and Macedonia signed an agreement for cultural cooperation. 

Nikola Paposki then pointed to migration into Macedonia, calling it an important issue that goes beyond his country’s capacity.

He noted that his country just like the EU differentiates between immigrants and refugees and seek to help those whose lives are threatened in the war-torn countries like Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.

Heading a high-ranking politico-economic delegation, Poposki arrived in Tehran on Sunday for a two-day visit.

Poposki already met with President Hassan Rouhani and Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani on Monday.

This is the first visit by a senior Macedonian official to Iran after the independence of the country.

By Marjan Golpira