Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 7
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
Co-chairman of Iran-Britain parliamentary friendship group Abbas Ali Mansouri said on Jan. 7 that the visiting British parliamentary delegation called for lifting sanctions on Iran, IRNA news agency reported.
Referring to the meeting with his British counterpart Jack Straw, Mansouri said the UK MP said that the western states should give up anti-Iran restrictions.
Mansouri said that Straw and the accompanying delegation believe that sanctions already imposed on Iran have been wrong and arbitrary.
They, in the meantime, emphasized the need to have a Middle East region free from the nuclear weapons, Mansouri added.
The UK delegation also met with head of Iran's Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, Gholamhossein Shafei on Jan. 7, Asriran news portal reported.
In the meeting Straw underlined that the UK wants the sanctions against Iran to be lifted as soon as possible, adding that the issue would be resolved during multilateral process and negotiations.
During the meeting, the chairman of the British-Iranian Chamber of Commerce, Lord Lamont expressed hope that the nuclear talks between Iran and the West would be effective.
He also underlined that sanctions against Iran's bank system should be lifted for resuming trade relations.
Commenting on Iranian oil minister, Bijan Namdar Zanganeh`s invitation from two British oil company to cooperate with Iran, Lamont said that the invitation has high importance.
He went on to say that two British medicine producers are interested to enter Iran's drug market, adding that British car makers are also keen to supply raw materials for Iran's car industry.
Straw, a member of Labor Party for Blackburn and former foreign secretary, heading a delegation arrived in the Iranian capital early on Jan 7.
He is to meet Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh.
Meanwhile, the British delegation is scheduled to attend a press conference on Wednesday in presence of domestic and foreign media reporters.
Edited by C.N.