TEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani said on Friday that he hopes Japan and other countries in the world will work hard to help preserve the 2015 nuclear agreement, officially known as the JCPOA.

“I hope Japan and other countries in the world will work hard to help keep the nuclear agreement in place,” Reuters quoted Rouhani as saying in a high-profile meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo.

“The nuclear agreement, needless to say, is a very important agreement for Iran. That is all the more reason for me to criticize strongly the United States’ unilateral and irrational departure,” Rouhani said.

Abe, for his part, said, “Japan would like to do its utmost to ease tensions and stabilize the situation in the Middle East.”

“As for Iran, I strongly hope the country will fully implement the nuclear agreement and play a constructive role for peace and stability in the region,” the Japanese prime minister noted.

‘We welcome help to maintain regional stability’

During a meeting of the Iranian and Japanese delegations, Rouhani said that Iran welcomes help to maintain stability and peace in the Persian Gulf and the wider Middle East.

“Iran welcomes help of all countries, especially Japan, in this respect,” he said.

He added that Iran has fulfilled its duty to provide security in the region and believes that security in the Persian Gulf region has been weakened by foreign countries.

“We should root out unilateralism for regional security. We should make those who follow a path other than cooperation understand that they should take another path,” Rouhani remarked.

Elsewhere, he called for expanding relations between Iran and Japan.

“The two countries can increase their cooperation in different areas including energy, new technologies, medicine, tourism, economy and trade,” Rouhani explained.

Rouhani added, “We welcome any proposal for increase of economic exchange, especially in the field of energy and increase in export and sale of oil.” 

‘U.S. withdrawal from JCPOA threatens intl. security’

Rouhani also said that the United States’ withdrawal from international agreements such as the JCPOA threatens peace and security in the world.

He said that the U.S. sanctions constitute examples of terrorism which must be countered with.

“Iran has made and will make all efforts to preserve the JCPOA and we want all the other sides to fulfil their commitments,” the president noted.

Elsewhere, he said that the U.S. “illegal method” in exiting the JCPOA benefits no one.

He said that the policy of imposing sanctions has a “lose-lose” result.

Rouhani went on to say that Iran welcomes any proposal and negotiations for preserving the JCPOA and establishing peace and security in the Middle East region.

“Naturally, in line with our interests, we will not shun any negotiations and agreement in this regard,” Rouhani pointed out.

The president said “during these years Iran has proven that it seeks to protect its interests through logic and dialogue and has always believed that through the logic of dialogue and prospect of win-win” it is possible to reach “important and durable agreements”.

Abe says Japan has started cooperation with European trio to protect JCPOA

Abe, for his part, said that Japan supports the nuclear deal and will continue efforts to keep it.

The Japanese prime minister also welcomed and expressed support for the Hormuz peace initiative proposed by Iran in September, saying security of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz is “highly important” for all the countries that their ships “are coming and going” in this waterway and “we thank Iran for its constructive role in protecting the security and stability and peace in the region.”

Abe also said his country has always backed the JCPOA and has started cooperation with the European trio – Germany, France and Britain - to protect the nuclear deal. 

Britain, France and Germany, known as E3, are party to the JCPOA. 
 
He also said that Japan is determined to continue cooperation with Iran especially in areas of technology, medicine, management of natural disasters such as earthquake. 

He noted that Japan is interested in expansion of relations and cooperation between the two countries’ private sectors. 

NA/PA