TEHRAN, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Iran's chief nuclear negotiator stressed on Sunday that although the Islamic republic is serious in the Vienna talks, it is determined not to trust "the enemy," according to Iran's Foreign Ministry.
Ali Bagheri Kani, who is also Iran's deputy foreign minister for political affairs, made the remarks on the sidelines of the 26th International Oil, Gas, Refining and Petrochemical Exhibition, dubbed Iran Oil Show, in Tehran.
"Iran is serious in the process of the Vienna talks and fulfillment of its international commitments, including those pertaining to the removal of the sanctions, to the same extent that it is determined to refrain from trusting the enemy and relying on foreigners for protection from the coercive measures," he said.
The diplomat added that "revolutionary wisdom" says that Iran must use all its diplomatic capacities to safeguard its national interests.
He gave the assurance that the Iranian Foreign Ministry will use all international capacities for "neutralizing the sanctions" in addition to making all-out diplomatic efforts aimed at the "maximum removal" of the U.S. sanctions.
Bagheri Kani emphasized that the strategic policy of "neutralizing the sanctions," coupled with the smart initiative of lifting the embargoes, has foiled enemy's plots to stop Iran's development.
Iran has turned "the art of bypassing the sanctions" into "the knowledge of neutralizing the sanctions," he said, adding at present, other sanctioned countries seek to use the Islamic republic's knowledge and experience.
Iran signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with the world powers in July 2015, accepting to put some curbs on its nuclear program in return for the removal of the sanctions on Tehran. However, former U.S. President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the agreement in May 2018 and reimposed Washington's unilateral sanctions on Tehran, prompting Iran to reduce some of its nuclear commitments under the agreement in retaliation.
Since April 2021, several rounds of talks have been held in the Austrian capital between Iran and the remaining JCPOA parties to revive the deal.
Iran insists on obtaining guarantees that the succeeding U.S. governments would not drop the deal again and calls for lifting the sanctions in a verifiable manner.
