French leader to meet Iran's Raisi to urge revival of deal

French leader to meet Iran's Raisi to urge revival of deal

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna speaks to reporters at France's mission to the United Nations
French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna speaks to reporters at France's mission to the United Nations. Photo: Ed JONES / AFP
Source: AFP

PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy!

French President Emmanuel Macron will meet Tuesday with his Iranian counterpart as Paris warns the clerical state that it will not get a better proposal to revive a nuclear accord.

The Elysee Palace said Macron will meet President Ebrahim Raisi on Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York and with US President Joe Biden the next day.

"We'll see what this week brings," French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna told reporters earlier Monday. "The window of opportunity seems ready to close again."

"We are repeatedly saying... there is no better offer for Iran," she said. "It's up to them to make a decision."

Raisi, in an interview with CBS News' "60 Minutes," said he was open to a "good" deal but pressed for guarantees from Biden that the United States will not again leave the accord under a future leader -- a promise that the US administration considers impossible.

Read also

Politics back as UK's new PM makes debut trip to UN

Former president Donald Trump pulled out of the 2015 deal under which Iran drastically scaled back nuclear work in return for promises of sanctions relief.

PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Instagram - get the most important news directly in your favourite app!

The Biden administration says the deal remains the best way to restrict Iran's nuclear program but has been increasingly pessimistic that Tehran will agree to a compromise negotiated by European Union mediators.

Separately, Colonna said she met Monday in New York with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

She said she urged him to allow a security zone around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine, whose occupation by Moscow has raised mounting concerns.

Colonna also plans meetings with her counterparts from China, India and Australia, whose relationship with France was badly strained last year when it canceled a major submarine deal in favor of US nuclear models.

Read also

Blinken urges peace as he brings together Azerbaijan, Armenia

Macron for his part will meet leaders including Britain’s new Prime Minister Liz Truss, flood-ravaged Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and crisis-wracked Lebanon's Najib Mikati.

New feature: Сheck out news that is picked for YOU ➡️ find “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy!

Source: AFP

Authors:
AFP avatar

AFP AFP text, photo, graphic, audio or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. AFP news material may not be stored in whole or in part in a computer or otherwise except for personal and non-commercial use. AFP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions in any AFP news material or in transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages whatsoever. As a newswire service, AFP does not obtain releases from subjects, individuals, groups or entities contained in its photographs, videos, graphics or quoted in its texts. Further, no clearance is obtained from the owners of any trademarks or copyrighted materials whose marks and materials are included in AFP material. Therefore you will be solely responsible for obtaining any and all necessary releases from whatever individuals and/or entities necessary for any uses of AFP material.