Iran can play "a positive
role" in the fight against Islamic State (ISIS) fundamentalist
militia after a long hoped-for deal on its nuclear programme is
made, Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini said Friday.
"Clearly, reaching an accord with Iran would facilitate
relations between the countries that are working to combat ISIS
and support the Iraqi government," Mogherini said.
Mogherini said that it was "particularly important" for
Iran to reach an agreement regarding its nuclear program in
light of the current ISIS threat in nearby Syria and Iraq, where
the Islamist fundamentalist militia is carrying out mass
atrocities while attempting to carve out a state of its own.
She added she is "optimistic" such an agreement can be
reached after meeting with her Iranian counterpart, Javad Zarif,
on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Thursday.
"We agreed it's essential to make progress this week in
order to reach a result by November 24," said Mogherini, who was
recently appointed foreign policy chief of the European Union.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani during a address to the
United Nations Thursday talked of "result-oriented" negotiations
for a compromise on his country's nuclear programme.
Rouhani said Iran's nuclear programme "must pursue
exclusively peaceful purposes" and emphasized the need for
"time-bound and result-oriented talks to build mutual
confidence", calling sanctions "unjust " and "intrinsically
inhumane and against peace".
The end-of-November date is the new deadline set for Iran
after a failed attempt in July to come to an accord with six
world powers regarding concessions it will make on its nuclear
program in exchange for a continued reduction in sanctions.
The Italian foreign minister's remarks came as an
international anti-ISIS coalition led by the United States
launched further air strikes against the fundamentalists in both
Syria and Iraq, destroying four of their tanks and three jeeps
and interrupting oil extraction in an ISIS-controlled oil field
in eastern Syria.
Also on Friday, Mogherini said ahead of a European
Parliament foreign affairs committee hearing that the Europe
must work as a united front.
"We need common European action in the face of global
challenges, beginning with the dramatic challenges at our
continent's southern and eastern borders," she said.
"Now more than ever, the EU must come up with a strategic
approach not only to current crises, but also to potential ones
and to the impact that apparently distant problems could have on
our society and our security".
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