Mr Jean-Yves Le Drian, French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, traveled to Iran on 5 March. In Tehran, Mr Le Drian was received by Mr Hassan Rouhani, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. He also met his counterpart, Mr Mohammad Javad Zarif, as well as the Speaker of the Parliament of Iran, Mr Ali Larijani, and the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Mr Ali Shamkhani.

In the spirit of the nuclear agreement of 14 July 2015, France wants to continue its frank and firm dialogue with Iran. To this end, Mr Jean-Yves Le Drian covered three main issues at his meetings:

• the nuclear agreement. France is determined to maintain this solid agreement and wants all parties to fulfil their commitments. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) provides strong safeguards against the risk of diverting the Iranian nuclear programme for military purposes. In this regard, Iran must continue to strictly implement its obligations; at the same time, it is important for both France and Iran that the resumption of European trade and investment in Iran continue;
• the Iranian ballistic programme. As France has repeated several times, the Iranian ballistic programme is of great concern to France and its partners. It does not comply with Security Council Resolution 2231 and is a destabilizing factor in the region. We are also concerned about the issue of missile transfers and Iranian assistance to non-State countries and entities in the region. This is why we want to undertake frank dialogue with Iran on this issue;
• Iran’s regional action also has destabilizing consequences for the region. We want Iran to make a positive contribution to crisis resolution in the Middle East, in line with the sovereignty of States. In this regard, the Syrian crisis and the ongoing humanitarian situation in Syria will be addressed in particular, alongside other regional issues in which Iran is involved (Yemen, Lebanon, Iraq).

The visit of the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs also aims to strengthen the bilateral relationship between our two countries based on the framework set out during President Rouhani’s visit to Paris in 2016. We want to continue our dialogue over the long term, across all areas, encouraging cultural, scientific and human exchanges between our societies. It is in this spirit that Mr Le Drian will open the Louvre in Tehran exhibition during his visit, to mark the long-standing cultural relationship between France and Iran. The exhibition recounts the history of the Louvre Palace and Museum.