TEHRAN, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) on Saturday urged the European countries to remain committed to their promises pertaining to the Iranian 2015 nuclear deal.
Ali Akbar Salehi expressed the hope that the European Union (EU) will fulfill its pledges to secure Iran's interests, which were made in the recent meetings with the Iranian delegation in Brussels.
Salehi made the remarks in the joint press conference with the visiting EU's energy chief Miguel Arias Canete.
The EU's efforts to save the nuclear contract show that the deal, also known as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), is a very important agreement for the region and the world, Salehi said.
However, if the Europeans fail to undertake their obligations, Iran has to press ahead with its peaceful nuclear developments with full determination, he said.
The Iranian official noted that the EU and the Iranian authorities have also discussed to replace U.S. dollar with euro in their trade transactions, and that the EU has taken initial steps in this regard.
The U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear agreement, once more, proved to the world that Washington is not reliable in implementing its international obligations, said Salehi.
U.S.' exit from the deal may cause some problems, but it will not be able to cause serious ones, he stressed.
Also, Canete stressed that preserving the nuclear deal is of significance for global and regional peace.
EU has sent a message to the Iranian friends that as long as they are sticking to the agreement, the Europeans will remain committed, Canete said, adding that the EU bloc hopes to boost trade with Iran.
U.S. President Donald Trump decided earlier this month to quit Iran's nuclear deal and vowed to re-impose sanctions, including oil embargo, on Tehran.
Canete said Saturday that "we will have to ask for waivers, for carve outs for the (European) companies that make investments."
Besides, Salehi said that he discussed reapplying European law of "the blocking statute" with Canete on Saturday.
Iran pushes the EU for the revival of "the blocking statute" which is a 1996 regulation that prohibits EU companies and courts from complying with foreign sanctions laws and stipulates that no foreign court judgments based on these laws have any effect in the EU.
Canete arrived in Tehran on Friday for a two-day visit to reassure Iran that the EU wants to keep open trade and cooperation with Iran despite the U.S. decision to pull out.
