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France Plans to Continue Dialogue With Iran on Nuclear Program

PARIS (Sputnik) - France will continue to maintain dialogue with Iran over the latter’s nuclear program and, as part of the nuclear deal, plans to preserve the agreement, the French Foreign Ministry said Sunday, on the eve of Foreign Minister Jean Yves Le Drian visit to Tehran.
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Le Drian’s visit will kick off on Monday and will revolve around three key aspects: the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal, Tehran’s tests of ballistic missiles and situation in the Middle Eastern region.

"France is determined to maintain this good agreement on the Iranian nuclear program and is committed to compulsory implementation of the parties' commitments… Iran must continue to strictly fulfill its obligations. At the same time for us, as for Iran, it is important to continue the resumption of cooperation and the European investment in this country," the Foreign Ministry said.

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Paris plans to focus on the issue of Tehran's missile program in their bilateral dialogue as it is "a source of great concern for France and its partners," according to the statement.

The ministry added that Le Drian, during his visit, will also open the "Louvre Museum in Tehran" exhibition, a sign of long-term nature of cultural relations between the states.

"We want to continue our dialogue in the long-term perspective in all spheres, promoting cultural, scientific … exchange between our communities," the Foreign Ministry underlined.

In July 2015, Iran signed a nuclear agreement with the European Union and the P5+1 group of nations comprised of the United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom plus Germany. The agreement stipulates a gradual lifting of sanctions imposed on Iran in exchange for Tehran maintaining the peaceful nature of its nuclear program.

READ MORE: Tehran Rules Out Missiles Talks Until US, Europe Destroy Their Nukes

In late October, US President Donald Trump refused to re-certify the nuclear deal, accusing Tehran of violating the spirit of the agreement. Despite the fact that Trump decided not to contest Tehran's compliance with the deal at the international level, he did not exclude a possible withdrawal from the deal if the agreement was not improved. Other JCPOA signatories called on the United States to comply with the agreement's provisions, saying that the deal had yielded results and was non-negotiable.

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