Seán Haughey
Question:95. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the details of his recent visit to Iran; the position regarding the 2015 Iran nuclear deal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13805/21]
View answerThursday, 11 March 2021
Questions (95)
Written answers
I visited Tehran on 7 March, and met with the President of Iran, Dr. Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister, Dr. Javad Zarif.The visit took place in the context of Ireland's role on the Security Council as Facilitator for Security Council Resolution 2231. This Resolution provides for the engagement of the Security Council with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the Iran nuclear deal.
Like our EU partners, Ireland is committed to preserving the JCPOA, which we believe offers the best mechanism for preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons. In our role as Facilitator we will do our utmost to support implementation of Resolution 2231.
I am in ongoing contact with the parties to the agreement and my discussions with President Rouhani and Minister Zarif were intensive and productive. There is now a window of opportunity to return to dialogue and agree a path back to full compliance with the JCPOA. I emphasised to my Iranian interlocutors that Ireland is ready to support and facilitate these efforts in line with our Security Council role.
We also discussed regional issues including Syria, Yemen and the Middle East Peace Process, as well as human rights issues in Iran.