Rouhani: We Have No Decision for Bilateral Talks with America

Iran’s president, in a session to vote confidence in two proposed cabinet ministers, spoke about the JCPOA in terms of Iran’s “one year of strategic patience” and simultaneously “open doors of diplomacy.” Hassan Rouhani considered “return to the right path and commitments” as a precondition for negotiations.

Hassan Rouhani, Iran’s president, on Tuesday (September 3) in a session to review the qualifications of proposed ministers of education and cultural heritage, tourism and handicrafts, spoke about the need for “exceptional role-playing of parliament, government and judiciary in the current conditions” of the country and once again addressed the issue of negotiations with the 5+1 countries.

Iran’s president, regarding negotiations with America in this session, said: “If America lifts all its sanctions, it is still possible to have a presence in the 5+1 meeting as before.”

Hassan Rouhani, referring to his recent remarks and the interpretations derived from these statements, continued: “Some think that negotiations means bilateral talks. Foreigners usually have their own interpretations, but the principles of our policies are determined by the leader; we all follow a single path and there are no disagreements on national issues.”

Rouhani said in the Parliament session on September 12: “We have repeatedly said and say again that there may be misinterpretations of the phrases. We have no decision and never had any decision for bilateral negotiations with America. The discussion of bilateral negotiations is not raised privately.”

Hassan Rouhani had spoken on September 4 about readiness for negotiations if Iran’s interests are secured. Rouhani had announced in a meeting: “If I know that in a meeting with someone, national interests will be secured and the country will prosper, I will not hesitate, because the principle is the national interests of the country.” Rouhani’s remarks were interpreted by international media as Iran’s message for negotiations with America. A message that French President Macron also welcomed in a press conference with Donald Trump and did not consider a meeting between Iranian and American presidents impossible. Rouhani’s remarks sparked waves of reactions in Iran.

Third Step is Coming

Rouhani today, in the session to review the qualifications of his proposed ministers, referring to the steps Iran has taken within the framework of reducing JCPOA commitments and also the fruitless results of the first step and the beginning of the second step, added: “The second two-month period is also approaching its final days. During these two months we have had various negotiations, speaking directly with some world leaders and by phone with others.”

Iran, on the first anniversary of America’s unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA on May 8, 2018, took the first step within the framework of reducing its JCPOA commitments, which means a gradual exit from the agreement. In the first step of reducing commitments, Iran announced that it would no longer send excess low-concentration enriched uranium and heavy water abroad. Iran simultaneously threatened that if the remaining countries in the agreement within 60 days did not fulfill their obligations under the JCPOA framework, facilitating oil sales and banking exchanges, Iran would activate the second phase of reducing commitments.

Hassan Rouhani in his Tuesday remarks spoke of “one year of Iran’s strategic patience” after America’s withdrawal from the JCPOA and considered the “policy of tit-for-tat commitment reduction” as Iran’s program for the period after “strategic patience.” Iran’s president emphasized: “If Europe or the 4+1 countries can fulfill some of their important obligations, we may reconsider the issue of reducing commitments, but if they do not take important action, we will definitely take the third step in the coming days (Thursday).”

Iran also activated the second phase of reducing commitments some time ago; increasing the level or concentration of uranium enrichment is one of Iran’s measures in this phase. The European members of the JCPOA also rejected this 60-day deadline. Iran’s third 60-day deadline to Europe expires on September 15.

Doors of Diplomacy Open

Rouhani explained “the basis of discussion with Europe” as follows: “If they buy our oil in cash or on credit and money is available, the conditions for steps of reducing commitments will be facilitated.” Regarding the policy America has pursued toward Iran on the JCPOA issue, he said: “Return to the right path and commitments so we witness different conditions.”

Iran’s president, in another part of his remarks, referring to “constructive interaction with the world” as the policy of the eleventh and twelfth administrations, continued: “We have never closed and will never close the door of diplomacy. We do not believe that we should use one of these two tools, either diplomacy or resistance; we do not believe that national resistance is in conflict with active diplomacy. We consider these two complementary to each other.”

The head of the twelfth government asked media in Iran not to create “opposition and duality” in Iran and considered the country’s conditions as “conditions of unity and a single voice.”

“Economic Imposed War”

Rouhani in the session to review the qualifications of proposed ministers of education and cultural heritage said that “the world’s view of the Iranian nation has changed after 16 months of resistance.” Calling the “economic imposed war like the military imposed war 30 years ago” against Iran fruitless, he said: “They have also concluded that with maximum pressure they cannot bring the Iranian nation to its knees.”

Iran’s president referred to the exchange rate price that “has enjoyed relative stability in the past two months.” He considered this “relative stability” as a sign of “market calm and people’s hope in production.” Rouhani spoke of an agreement with several major countries in the world for transactions with national currency and added: “[This] means striking a blow to the dollar and America’s plots against our country’s economic programs.”

Rouhani called Iran’s economic conditions in the current situation as “100 percent sanctions from February.”

Source: DW