TEHRAN – The Islamic Republic deems “unacceptable” the continuation of sanctions while Tehran honors the 2015 nuclear pact, Atomic Energy Organization of Iran chief Ali Akbar Salehi warned in a meeting with Secretary General of European External Action Service (EEAS) Helga Schmid in Norway on Wednesday.

Salehi called for genuine and practical measures by the European parties to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to save the nuclear agreement, Tasnim reported.

The nuclear deal was clinched between Iran, the European Union, Germany, France, Britain, Russia, China and the United States. However, last month Donald Trump walked out of the agreement and plans to re-impose sanctions on Iran.

Under the agreement, which went into force in January 2016, Iran lowered its nuclear activities in exchange for termination of economic and financial sanctions.

“In order to preserve BARJAM (a Persian acronym for the JCPOA), we need our expectations and needs to be met and cruel sanctions to be lifted permanently,” Salehi asserted.

Europe, he said, has taken “good steps” to save the JCPOA but the focus should be on the end result of the policies adopted by the European Union.

100 European firms to enter talks with Iran: Schmid

Schmid, for her part, reassured Iran of the efforts to save the JCPOA and secure Tehran’s economic benefits under the accord.

She said under a new initiative for cooperation between Iran and small and medium-sized companies from the EU, 100 European industrial enterprises are going to hold business talks with Iranians.

Since more than 60 percent of European industries are categorized at that level, the upcoming trade negotiations are expected to provide a proper framework for direct cooperation between Iran and the EU, Schmid added.

The remarks come as concerns over the fate of the JCPOA has soared since Trump’s decision last month to withdraw the United States from the multilateral deal.

Iran has warned the remaining parties to the deal that if they do not provide assurances to protect Tehran’s economic interests, it can return to pre-JCPOA conditions.

In his trip to Oslo, Salehi held meetings with top officials from Norway, the EU and the UN.

On Tuesday, the Iranian nuclear chief met with the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres for talks on preventing a collapse of the international deal.

MH/PA