UN ready to assist Iran against US asset ruling

TEHRAN, May 02 (MNA) – Iran’s FM spokesman said Mon. the UN has expressed its readiness to assist Iran with the case of US seizure of around $2bn of Iran’s frozen asset. Hossein Jaberi Ansari in his weekly press conference on Monday said the cabinet of President Rouhani has formed a special committee headed by Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance, Ali Tayebnia, to investigate and advocate the rights of Iranians in the case. The committee, which comprises Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi, and CBI governor Valiollah Seif, will report the results of their investigations to President Rouhani and the council of ministers. “Mr. Zarif has also wrote to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to ask him to intervene in the case. The letter is based on firm and legal arguments of the Islamic Republic,” he added. Jaberi Ansari further added that the Foreign Ministry has also summoned the Swiss Ambassador last Tuesday to express its protest over the controversial ruling; the Swiss envoy has promised to send Iran’s protest to American authorities, he added. The Iranian diplomat then talked about the three-day visit of South Korean President to Tehran, saying 4 ministers and over 230 businessmen are accompanying Ms. Park on her trip. “The two sides plan to sign 44 MoUs, with 20 of them to be inked in the presence of the two premiers and the rest within a trading framework between economic figures,” he added. According to him, President Park is also scheduled to hold meetings with Leader Ayat. Khamenei and her counterpart President Rouhani. Jaberi Ansari also announced the upcoming visit of Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan Raşit Meredow to Tehran, saying the trip will occur on May 7 in a bid to cement relations between the two countries. In response to a question on the escalation of conflicts in Syria’s Aleppo and the Geneva meeting between foreign ministers of US, Saudi Arabia and Jordan in this regard, he said “for an agreement to be reached on a political approach which would end the human catastrophe in Syria, it is imperative for actors and countries that pursuit the realization of their political aims through terrorist means to accept the fact that the current situation will have no political outcome for them and will only intensify the crisis.” He expressed hope that all countries and sides involved in the conflict would arrive at a common understanding for ending the Syrian crisis.