FM holds talks with Spanish, Sweden, Bulgarian counterparts

MEHR: Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian held separate phone talks with his Spanish, Sweden, and Bulgarian counterparts on Friday.

Iranian Foreign Minister in a phone talk with his Spanish counterpart José Manuel Albares Buenon exchanged viewpoints on some international, regional, and bilateral issues.

Referring to the historical relations of the two countries, Amir-Abdollahian welcomed efforts aimed at evermore expansion of Tehran-Madrid relations and cooperation.

Criticizing the unconstructive stances and acts of some western countries regarding the recent Iran riots and terrorist acts, he said, "Some European officials pay greater attention to partisan objectives more than their national interests."

Iranian foreign minister said that Iran, just as always, welcomes interactions with Europe, especially the EU3; namely, Germany, France, and Britain had since the year 2015 been impotent in implementing the commitments in accordance with the JCPOA, which was an internationally approved document, after the Trump administration's unilateral exit of it.

Amir-Abdollahian also appreciated Spain's stance on Shiraz terrorist attack.

The Spanish foreign minister, for his part, once again condemned the Shiraz terrorist act and condoled on behalf of the Spanish government and nation with the Iranian nation and government, stressing that dialogue needs to continue between the two countries.

José Manuel Albares Bueno said that the two countries' relations are as old as history.

He also asked for his Iranian counterpart's assistance to free the two arrested Spanish citizens during the recent unrest in Iran.

In a phone call with Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden Tobias Billström on Friday, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said the politicized case of Nouri and efforts by the Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO) terrorist group to disrupt a legal probe into the case have seriously harmed relations between Tehran and Stockholm.

"In recent years, some issues have [negatively] affected the relations between the two countries, which were mainly the result of negative moves and measures of a third party," he added.

Iranian foreign minister that the Islamic Republic of Iran has always welcomed dialogue and cooperation with the European Union.

Tobias Billström, for his part, expressed regret that Nouri's case has had negative impacts on bilateral relations and pledged to seriously pursue it.

He also called for Iran's cooperation in dealing with the cases of a number of Swedish nationals detained in Iran and emphasized that Stockholm is resolute on the expansion of ties with Tehran.

During the phone talk, Amir-Abdollahian and Billstrom exchanged views on issues of common interests and international developments.

In a phone talk with Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nikolay Milkov, Amir-Abdollahian appreciated Bulgaria's stance on Shiraz terrorist attack and emphasized the importance of bilateral relations on the eve of the 125th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Referring to the Ukraine war, he said that Iran is against the continuation of the war in Ukraine and is working for a ceasefire.

According to Security Council Resolution 2231, Iran does not have a ban on the export and import of weapons, but it has not given any weapons to Russia to use in the Ukraine war, he added, saying that the country's position is against the expansion of NATO in the region and against the war in Ukraine.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria also emphasized the continuation of efforts to hold a joint commission in 2023, referring to the long-standing and good relations between the two countries.

Milkov thanked the Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs for the explanations regarding the developments in Ukraine and the position of the country in opposing the continuation of the war and pursuing political solutions to resolve the crisis in Ukraine.

He also said that the Bulgarian government always supports the process of the JCPOA revival and realizing the agreement between Iran and the international community.