Envoy: Switzerland to Continue N. Cooperation with Iran

Swiss Ambassador to Tehran Markus Leitner underlined the European countries’ efforts to keep investment in Iran, adding that Bern will definitely continue nuclear cooperation with Tehran, AVA Diplomatic reports.

“Numerous measures have been adopted to maintain investment between Iran and Europe and you will witness results of these measures in the next few weeks,” Leitner said on Tuesday.

He added that his country has always supported the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and the world powers and endeavors to keep it alive.

“We know that Iran has been committed to all its undertakings based on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)’s confirmation and we regret the US decision (to withdraw from the nuclear deal),” Leitner said.

Asked if nuclear cooperation between Tehran and Bern will continue, he said, “We have a roadmap which has been signed by the two countries’ presidents in 2016 and includes cooperation in the field of nuclear safety. A number of meetings have been held between the relevant (nuclear) agencies and we rest assured that they will continue.”

In September 2016, Iran and Switzerland signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to boost mutual cooperation in areas of civil nuclear safety.

The MoU was signed between Head of Iran Nuclear Regulatory Authority Nasser Rastkhah and Director General of the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate Hans Wanner in Vienna.

The cooperation document was offered by Switzerland after a nuclear deal reached between Iran and G5+1 (the US, Russia, France, China and Britain plus Germany) in July 2015 as a prelude to cooperation between Tehran and Bern on safety of civil nuclear deal.

Iran Nuclear Regulatory Authority, for its part, has showed interest in receiving assistance from Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate in the field of safety culture, construction of the necessary regulatory framework and management systems.