Iran calls on EU to change ‘self-centered, irresponsible’ behavior as talks begin

An Iranian deputy foreign minister has urged the European Union to change its "self-centered and irresponsible" behavior toward Tehran as talks between Iranian and European diplomats are set to begin in Geneva. 

Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, provided a briefing on the Iranian delegation's Thursday meeting with Enrique Mora, Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service, in Geneva.

The Iranian delegation, he wrote on X on Friday, "had a frank discussion" with Mora on "a variety of issues, including the perspective of nuclear and sanctions lifting negotiations in light of recent developments." 

"It was reaffirmed to him that EU should abandon its self-centered and irresponsible behaviour towards issues and challenges of this continent and international matters," he stressed. 

"Europe should not project its own problems and mistakes onto others, including with regard to the conflict in Ukraine," he added. 

Gharibabadi added that Europe "lack any moral ground" to lecture others on human rights given the complicity of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany in the ongoing Israeli genocidal war on Gaza, where more than 44,300 Palestinians have been killed since October last year by Western-back Israeli regime.

Turning to Iran’s nuclear program, the Iranian diplomat said “Europe has failed to be a serious player due to lack of self-confidence and responsibility. Europe is in need of self-recovery."

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According to Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, deputy foreign ministers of Iran and the three European countries, also known as the E3, will meet on Friday.

He reaffirmed Iran’s principled stance on interaction and cooperation with other countries based on dignity, wisdom and interests.

Baghaei explained that the upcoming meeting with the three European countries will be a continuation of the talks held with the trio in September on the sidelines of the annual session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Tensions between Iran and European countries have escalated over the past two years due to European accusations. European nations claim Iran has supplied ballistic missiles to Russia for use in the Ukraine conflict, an allegation that Tehran has categorically rejected. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also stated that no such missiles were delivered to Russia.

In a recent action against Tehran, the European troika pushed the adoption of a resolution in the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The resolution accused Tehran of poor cooperation with the agency and demanded a "comprehensive" report on its nuclear activities by spring 2025. In response, Iran said it has activated a "series of new and advanced centrifuges."

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