TEHRAN – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani have met a number of foreign leaders in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

During a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, Rouhani said Tehran attaches great importance to the European role in protecting the 2015 nuclear deal formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

“The JCPOA bore this message that the complicated international issues can be settled through dialogue and within a win-win framework and any harm to it can bear a dangerous message to the world that problems cannot be solved through diplomacy,” Rouhani noted.

He also said that the Trump administration’s behavior towards the JCPOA is “worrisome” for the international community.

“The only body that should monitor the JCPOA is the International Atomic Energy Agency which have confirmed for seven times Iran’s compliance to the agreement,” he said.

Rouhani told CNN on Monday that exiting the Iran nuclear deal “would carry a high cost for the United States of America, and I do not believe Americans would be willing to pay such a high cost for something that will be useless for them.”

Elsewhere, Rouhani said that Iran seeks to expand relations with France in various spheres, adding Iran welcomes French investment.

French president says proposal to renegotiate nuclear deal is ‘meaningless’ 

For his part, Macron said that France is determined to expand relations with Iran.

The post-JCPOA atmosphere has provides great opportunities to expand ties, the French leader added.

He also said that France supports implementation of the nuclear deal and brushed aside a U.S. proposal to renegotiate the deal as “meaningless”.

Last month French the Macron said there was no “alternative” to the JCPOA. “In the context of what we are living through, the 2015 agreement is what allows us establish a constructive and demanding dialogue with Iran.”

Iran, the European Union, Germany and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council including the U.S. signed the nuclear deal on July 14, 2015. The agreement went into effect in January 2016.

Yukiya Amano, chief of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, reconfirmed on Monday that Iran is implementing its commitments under the deal.

‘Iran welcomes expansion of ties with Austria’

In a separate meeting with Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, Rouhani said that Iran welcomes expansion of relations with the European countries especially Austria.

He highlighted the importance of the nuclear deal’s role in expansion of cooperation.

“Full implementation of the JCPOA is beneficial to the European Union and the region [the Mideast region], so it is essential for the European Union to make efforts in line with its own interests,” Rouhani stated.

For his part, the Austrian president called for expansion of relations with Iran in various areas.

‘JCPOA can be a model for intl. peace’

In a meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Rouhani also said that the JCPOA can serve as a “good model” for international peace and stability and called on Guterres to support the multilateral agreement.

Elsewhere, Rouhani urged the UN to make any effort to protect the Iraqi territorial integrity as the Iraqi Kurdistan is planning to hold an independence referendum despite opposition by the central government, neighboring countries, and the world at large.

Guterres said dividing up Iraq or Syria has no benefit for the region.

He added UN is ready to cooperate with Iran to boost peace and security in the region.

Rouhani calls for better banking ties with Sweden

Rouhani said in a meeting with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven that better banking ties will help expand economic relations.

He also praised Sweden’s position in supporting the nuclear deal.

Lofven said that there is no restriction for the two countries to deepen ties, adding Sweden welcomes removal of banking obstacles.

‘Iran welcomes expanding ties with Latin American countries’

During a meeting with Bolivian President Evo Morales, Rouhani said that Iran welcomes expansion of ties in various spheres with the Latin American countries.

He called expansion of Iran-Bolivia relations beneficial to both countries.

Morales also called for expansion of cooperation with Iranian corporations in the petrochemical industry.

Bolivia is determined to expand relations with Iran, he said, adding that independent countries should establish closer ties.

NA/PA