Rafsanjani: West must abide by promises

Expediency Council Chairman Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said on Monday that the western governments must respect the diplomatic custom to abide by undertakings in line with the Geneva agreement on November 24.

He made the remarks in a meeting with Members of European Parliament.

He said that the Iranian nation expects the western governemnts to do in a way to break the mistrust taken shape over the past decade and fulfill their undertakings as per the joint plan of action envisaged for the next six months.

Ayatollah Rafsanjani told Members of the European Parliament that the attempt made by the US for fresh sanctions are the outcome of the influence and pressure of Israeli lobby in Washington.

ˈThe world expected the US government to abide by the agreement and not to breach the political promise.ˈ

He said that the European Parliament and the European Union should serve as a means for promotion of real democracy in the west and bolstering of the western ties with Iran.

ˈThe current atmosphere provided the western governments with an opportunity to set aside the language of force in negotiations and return to the negotiating table in a friendly manner.ˈ

To a question by a member of European Parliament on human rights situation in Iran, Rafsanjani said, ˈOur clear proof of human rights is our highly progressive Constitution and we offer the Europeans to study it even once.ˈ

Rafsanjani said that there are contraditions in words and deeds of western governments about human rights and they uses double-standard for human rights so that once they defend a terrorist group whose hands are stained with blood of people and senior officials in Iran has its base in the European Parliament.

On the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Syria, Ayatollah Rafsanjani said even before clashes in Syria, Iranˈs stance was that negotiations between the government and the opposition is the only solution to the Syrian problems and the Syrian people must decide their fate by the ballot boxes.

On growing poppy cultivation in Afghanistan, he said multiple growth in poppy cultivation in Afghanistan is result of ignorance of the occupiers.

ˈHad it not been for Iran campaign against drug-traffickers, Europe would have been several times more polluted than now.ˈ