TEHRAN – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday that Iran is determined to expand ties with the European countries especially Ireland.

“We welcome expansion of political, cultural, economic and scientific relations with Ireland,” he said during a meeting with Chairman of the Senate of the Republic of Ireland Denis O’Donovan in Tehran.

Rouhani also said that Iran can be a “reliable source” to provide the European Union’s member states with energy.

He highlighted the necessity of expanding banking relations.

Elsewhere, he said that Iran will remain committed to its obligations in the 2015 nuclear deal.

Iran will never be the first to violate the nuclear agreement, he added.

For his part, O’Donovan said that Ireland is determined to expand cooperation with Iran.

He also said that the nuclear deal is beneficial to the international community.

The European countries believe that no country should deviate from the path of implementing the nuclear agreement, he added.

The nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, was signed by Iran and the 5+1 group (the U.S., Britain, France, China, Russia and Germany) in July 2015 and took effect in January 2016.

Iran, Ireland have common views on JCPOA: Larijani

In a joint press conference with O’Donovan, Iranian Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani said that Iran and Ireland have common views on continuing implementation of the JCPOA.

O’Donovan said that the European countries believe that the JCPOA is a “positive international commitment” which benefits “Iran, the EU and the international peace”.

NA