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Foreign ministers of Iran, Netherlands discuss ties, regional developments in Tehran

Saturday, 22 February 2020 2:01 PM [ Last Update: Saturday, 22 February 2020 4:10 PM ]

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (R) shakes hands with his Dutch counterpart Stef Blok in Tehran on February 22, 2020. (Photo by IRNA)

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Dutch counterpart, Stef Blok, have held discussions in Tehran about issues of mutual interest and the latest regional and international developments.

Blok, who is in Tehran at the head of a delegation, held two rounds of talks with Zarif on Saturday and is also expected to hold a separate meeting with Iran's President Hassan Rouhani.

During the first round of their talks, the top Iranian and Dutch diplomats stressed the importance of enhancing mutual relations.

At the second round of the talks, Zarif and Blok exchanged views about the landmark 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a non-dollar direct payment channel -- officially called the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX), which aims to offset impacts of US sanctions, the assassination of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani by the United States as well as leading developments in Iraq, Yemen, Afghanistan and Syria.

The Dutch foreign minister is also scheduled to pay visits to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for consultations to help de-escalate tensions in the Middle East.

He earlier also visited the central Iranian city of Isfahan on Friday, where he talked with the governor of the city and visited cultural and historical monuments there.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Wednesday that the Dutch and Austrian foreign ministers will visit Tehran, where they will discuss bilateral ties as well as international and regional issues, mainly the fate of the JCPOA and peace in the Persian Gulf region.

Dutch, Austrian FMs due in Iran to discuss intl., regional issues

Iran says the top Dutch and Austrian diplomats will visit Tehran, where they will discuss bilateral ties as well as international and regional issues.

“In the talks with the two European ministers, apart from examining the bilateral relations and the exchange of views about the major international and regional issues, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s criticism of Europe’s inaction on carrying out its commitments under the JCPOA and its passiveness in the face of the US imposition of extraterritorial law will be emphasized,” he added.

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