Iran’s FM Holds Intensive Meetings in NY
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had meetings with multiple foreign counterparts and top officials on the sidelines of the 72nd regular session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York to discuss a broad range of regional and international issues.
The top Iranian diplomat had several bilateral meetings with foreign authorities at the UN headquarters on Thursday.
In a meeting with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the two senior diplomats discussed Tehran-Beijing ties, the regional and international developments, and the latest status of implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a nuclear agreement between Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany).
In another meeting, Zarif and his Dutch counterpart Bert Koenders explored avenues for the expansion of Tehran-Amsterdam relations, and also talked about the Iraqi Kurdistan Region’s plan to hold an independence referendum. They both stressed the need for respect for Iraq’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Zarif also had separate meetings with his opposite numbers from Algeria, Belarus, Norway, Canada, Australia, Jordan, Denmark, Slovenia, and Namibia.
Moreover, the Iranian minister attended a high-level meeting on Syria, held on the sidelines of the General Assembly, and expressed Iran’s stances on the crisis in the Arab country. The ministerial gathering was initiated by the European Union.
In another meeting, Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency), discussed various issues with Foreign Minister Zarif and expressed his gratitude to Iran for hosting Afghan refugees. They also talked about the plight of Myanmarese and Syrian refugees.
