Zarif: Using dollar in bilateral trades declining

New York, Oct 3, IRNA – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said several countries have started to decrease using dollar in their bilateral trades because of US unilateral sanctions. US behavior has weakened dollar in international financial system, Zarif said, while addressing the meeting held at UN on multilateralism and JCPOA. He pointed to pressures imposed on Iran since the beginning of the Islamic Revolution, saying we tolerated them but we will never bear threats and will give negative response to it. Pressures have never stopped, Zarif said rejecting claims that pressures forced Iran to start negotiation. We have previously had a 150-page document, he said, adding that maybe US president does not like it but achieving a two-page document is quite easy. I know every word of this document and I know what the United States wants, what we want and what Europeans are looking for. So why should we restart everything?, Zarif reiterated. The question is that, if we even decide to do this, what guarantee is there that the next president implements it or the current president continues it, Zarif said. He also pointed to the G-7 summit, saying after a period of intensive negotiations, Trump rejected the statement before leaving for the airport. Why should we abandon an international agreement, which has been guaranteed by the UN Security Council for a single photo and a few hours talks?, he noted. JCPOA will be useful for Iranians and the international community as well, he said adding that it will help maintain regional peace and security. US now pushes countries one after the other and forces them to use their own currencies in bilateral trade; you see, countries are choosing currencies other than dollar for bilateral trade, Zarif said adding that this trend is increasing. Since 1982, I have never seen one of the permanent members of UNSC urging others to breach a resolution, Zarif said in commenting on US act to threaten other countries to be punished if they implement UNSC resolution 2231. Resolution 2231 urges all parties to facilitate the implementation of this resolution and to stop any measures that prevent its implementation, but now a member of the Security Council is holding a meeting, chairing it and asking everyone to pressure on Iran, he added. Referring to Europe and P4+1 special mechanism, Zarif said I think what Europe is doing to create a special mechanism is for engagement, not because they like Iran. If they allow such a thing to happen, everyone knows that international diplomacy will not have any position, he reiterated. He also urged the UNGA to support multilateralism. 9376**1771 Follow us on Twitter @IrnaEnglish