TEHRAN— While Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi returned to Tehran from New York on Friday, his foreign minister stayed in the U.S. to pursue active, dynamic and balanced diplomacy.

Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian met with 17 of his counterparts from Europe, West Asia, Latin America, and Africa on Friday and Saturday alone.

This is in addition to participating in 13 meetings that President Raisi had with presidents and prime ministers on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

On Friday and Saturday, Amir Abdollahian met with the foreign ministers of Austria, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, Jordan, Brazil, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Eritrea, Armenia, Uganda, Sri Lanka, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Iraq, and Syria, and Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross

The top diplomat also gave an interview to Iranian journalists present in New York in the middle of his busy schedule and announced the message sent by the Americans in recent days to revive to the 2015 nuclear agreement, officially called the JCPOA.

According to the foreign minister, the Americans have said that they have the will and the necessary goodwill to reach an agreement on the JCPOA.

Amir Abdollahian also said that Tehran has informed the Americans that they must show their determination and goodwill to reach an agreement.

“Even in the recent days the American side declared to us that they have the necessary will and goodwill for reaching an agreement, and we told them to show their determination and goodwill in a realistic way and prove that we can reach the point of an agreement,” Amir Abdollahian told IRNA and IRIB correspondents in New York.

FM says Iran continues path of diplomacy 

In a meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekad, Amir Abdollahian stated that messages are being exchanged between the United States and Iran through some foreign ministers and coordinators from the European Union.

“Iran pursues the path of diplomacy by adopting a logical approach and insists on a stable agreement that guarantees its economic benefits,” he noted.

UAE FM wishes to visit Iran soon

UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who held talks with Amir Abdollahian on Saturday, expressed hope to visit Iran in the near future.

Amir Abdollahian and bin Zayed also held talks over the Ukraine conflict and political initiatives in the Persian Gulf region.

Bin Zayed also said his country is ready to develop economic and commercial ties with Iran. He also called for holding the session of the council of traders.  The UAE’s chief diplomat also invited Iranian teams to participate in the conference of renewable energies that will be held by Abu Dhabi.

Amir Abdollahian also announced Tehran is ready to host the supreme committee for joint cooperation.

Iran’s senior diplomat also informed his UAE counterpart about the latest developments surrounding the Vienna talks intended to lift sanction on Iran by restoring the JCPOA.

UAE Ambassador Saif Al Zaabi, who has resumed his diplomatic activities in Iran after a six-year gap, met with Amir Abdollahian on September 13.

Fuad Hussein says Iraq ready to host new round of Iran-Saudi talks 

Amir Abdollahian had a relatively long meeting with his Iraqi counterpart, Fuad Hussein, at his place of residence, in which he called peaceful protest the right of every nation. 

Nevertheless, he strongly criticized the interventionist approach of the United States in the affairs of Iran and the region, including provoking violent acts by protestors who are abusing the pure feelings of the people to create insecurity inside the Islamic Republic.

This is in clear conflict with the repeated diplomatic messages of the White House to Iran, he noted.

For his part, Hussein pointed to the positive progress in the talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia and announced his country's readiness to hold a new round of talks in Baghdad.

“Iraq continues its efforts in this regard and invites Iran and Saudi Arabia to return to normal relations and reopen embassies,” the Iraqi foreign minister reiterated.

Iran's foreign minister is still in New York. In addition to attending meetings, he holds intensive meetings with his counterparts from other countries.