TEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani told the Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders in Tehran on Monday that Iran will abide by its commitments to the nuclear deal only if the West fulfill its own obligations.

Rouhani said if the nuclear agreement is implemented precisely, it can build a strong basis for mutual trust between the two sides, Rouhani noted.

Under the accord Iran will slow down some of its nuclear activities for some ten years and instead the economic sanctions on Iran will be lifted.

The accord, signed between Iran and the 5+1 group (the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia plus Germany) on July 14, is set to go into force next year.

In his meeting with European Parliament President Martin Shulz on Saturday Rouhani also insisted that the other side should implement the nuclear deal fully, timely and precisely.


‘JCPOA implementation will measure the will of negotiating sides’

Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, also said on Monday that fulfilling the commitments in the JCPOA by Iran and the six major powers will measure the will of each side for cooperation.

“Any counter-constructive behavior or continuation of making threats prevents expansion of cooperation and will lead to review in policies,” he said in a separate meeting with the Belgian foreign minister.

He added that the nuclear agreement has provided Iran and the European countries with opportunity to expand economic ties.

Reynders said that Belgium seeks to expand relations and cooperation with Iran.

‘It is necessary Iran and Belgium take bigger steps’

Elsewhere in his talks, Rouhani said it is necessary for Iran and Belgium to take bigger steps in expanding ties.

“Iran can be a center for organizing economic relations of Belgium and the European Union with the whole region,” the president said.

Rouhani described Iran-Belgium ties as “friendly” and “constructive” and said that the public opinion in Iran has positive view on relations between the two countries.

Iran is ready to expand cooperation between the two countries’ private sectors, the president added.

Rouhani also pointed to the spread of violence and terrorism in the region saying the consequences of extremism and terrorism in the region will affect the entire world.

For his part, the Belgian foreign minister expressed hope that the relations would be expanded after implementation of the nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Reynders also highlighted the importance of fighting terrorism, saying that Iran plays an important role in the campaign against terrorism in the region.

NA/PA