Macron calls on Iranian leader Rouhani to ‘respect’ historic nuclear deal
EMMANUEL Macron has congratulated Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on his re-election and asked him to "respect" a historic nuclear deal.
Emmanuel Macron congratulated Hassan Rouhani after his re-election as Iranian President
The Iranian reformist won the election with some 57 per cent of the vote while his hardline opponent, Ebrahim Raisi, won 38.5 per cent of the vote.
The French President said that Mr Rouhani’s victory “reinforced hope” Iran would continue to “respect” the 2015 nuclear accord.
In it, Iran agreed to curb its nuclear programme in return for lifted sanctions.
Mr Macron said: “The re-election of President Rouhani reinforces hope that his government will continue to rigorously apply the historic agreement signed on July 14, 2015, and which allowed to settle, via diplomatic means, disagreements over Iran’s nuclear programme, and thanks to which relations between Iran and the international community have entered a new phase.
“France will remain vigilant to make sure that Tehran continues to abide strictly to the conditions of the accord.”
Mr Macron said he hoped that Mr Rouhani’s re-election would pave the way for “improved relations” between France and Iran, adding that he had instructed his newly elected ‘all-stripes’ cabinet to work on the “intensification of economic, scientific and cultural ties” between the two countries.
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The French President also stressed the need to seek a “diplomatic solution” to the conflicts which have plunged the Middle East into “mourning,” and called on Iran to adopt this approach.
Mr Rouhani, a 68-year-old reformist, handily won the Iranian presidential election against his hardline rival Mr Raisi, 56, on Saturday with some 57 per cent of the vote.
In his victory speech, Mr Rouhani said that Iranians had chosen “the path to interaction with the world, away from violence and extremism”.