EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini yesterday arrived in Tehran on her first visit since a nuclear deal between Iran and world powers came into force, as tensions surface over its implementation.
Mogherini, who was the lead negotiator for the six powers who struck the deal, was accompanied by other top EU officials. She was to meet Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif.
Her one-day trip comes after Iran raised concerns about banking sanctions, with officials saying the West, particularly the US, is still creating hurdles to its access to the global financial system.
Central Bank of Iran Governor Valiollah Seif on Friday said the international community is not sticking to its promises.
“The impact that we were expecting to get is not what we see, at least on a tangible basis,” Seif told a forum at the European Council of Foreign Relations in Washington.
The six powers led by the US agreed in July last year to lift sanctions that had locked down much of Iran’s economy for years in exchange for limits on Tehran’s nuclear program.
The move allowed Iran to resume a higher level of oil exports when the deal was implemented in January, as well as opening up more trade opportunities.
However, with the US still maintaining some sanctions on the nation, Iran’s access to global finance remains limited.
Seif, in Washignton for the IMF-World Bank spring meetings, cited a reluctance by European banks to engage with Iran for fear of falling foul of US sanctions.
“They have been asked not to work with Iranian banks and they are afraid,” he said.
“It is because of the heavy penalties that have been imposed upon them,” he said, referring to huge fines imposed in the past.
Ahead of her trip to Tehran, Mogherini said banking, investment and trade were on the agenda of her talks, as well as the conflicts in Syria and Yemen, where the West has been looking for Iran’s cooperation with peace efforts.
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