Talks with Iran Improve Int’l Relations

(FNA)- Italy’s representative at the European Parliament Barbara Matera underlined the importance of talks between Iran and the world powers in enhancing the international relations, and called for the further expansion of ties between Rome and Tehran.

“Recently, the relations between Iran and Italy have improved compared with the past and certain important and famous Italian companies are active in Iran at present,” Matera told FNA on Sunday.

She said that Italian Foreign Minister Emma Bonino’s recent visit to Tehran has even laid more emphasis on the importance of the development of ties between the two countries.

Asked about talks between Iran and the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany), Matera said while Tehran has agreed to limit some aspects of its uranium enrichment program, the world powers should relieve sanctions and “continue talks as an important step to improve the international relations”.

On November 24, Iran and the world powers sealed a six-month Joint Plan of Action to lay the groundwork for the full resolution of the West’s decade-old dispute with Iran over its nuclear energy program. In exchange for Tehran’s confidence-building bid to limit certain aspects of its nuclear activities, the Sextet of world powers agreed to lift some of the existing sanctions against Tehran and continue talks with the country to settle all problems between the two sides.

Then after several rounds of experts talks on how to enforce the agreement, Iran and the six major world powers finalized an agreement on ways to implement the deal.

And last Monday, a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that Iran has halted its 20-percent enrichment activity under its ground-breaking deal struck with the six world powers, paving the way for the easing of some western sanctions against Tehran.

The US and the EU removed part of their sanctions against Tehran the same day.