Amirabdollahian will travel to Ankara in the framework of an official visit, according to Khatibzadeh who added that the foreign minister will then go to Turkmenistan to attend a ministerial meeting of the Caspian Sea countries which is a preparation meeting for the upcoming summit.
On the resumption of the talks to remove sanctions against Iran, the spokesman said that the exact timing and location weren’t decided yet, but the talks would resume this week in a country in the region.
Khatibzadeh said that EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell seriously tried to resume the talks in his contacts in recent weeks and offered to make a visit to Tehran after Iran welcomed Europe’s facilitating role.
He confirmed that there have been agreements on the content, form, and subject, adding that the most important issue in the talks was that the United States made a commitment to implement the JCPOA and the United Nations Security Council resolution 2231 and to ensure Iran’s economic benefit from the JCPOA.
He noted that the upcoming round of talks would be indirect and include outstanding issues regarding sanctions but not nuclear dimensions and that nothing would be added to or removed from the deal reached in Vienna.
The ball is in the US court, he said, adding if they come with an answer, there would be a deal.
He underlined that all the measures Iran has taken so far are reversible if the other party undertakes its commitments and that nothing is agreed upon until everything is agreed.
On Iran’s possible BRICS ascension, Khatibzadeh said that Iran has submitted its membership request and President Ebrahim Raisi was therefore invited to give a speech at the recent summit.
He also touched upon Iran-Egypt ties, saying that Tehran welcomes advancement of the ties, as it is in the interest of both countries, the region, and the Muslim world.
Khatibzadeh also said that he was leaving the post and current Head of the Office for the Protection of the Interests of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Egypt Nasser Kanaani would replace him as the new spokesman for the foreign ministry.
9416**9417
Follow us on Twitter @IrnaEnglish