Transfer Of Iranian Frozen Assets To CBI, Underway : Araqchi

Tehran, March 2, IRNA- Transfer of Iranian assets frozen by the western governments to Central Bank of Iran is underway, Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Abbas Araqchi said on Saturday. Araqchi made the remarks in an interview with IRNA. ˈTehran has done the process needed to receive the first and second installment of its $4.2b funds previously blocked overseas, he said. ˈThe first and second installment of $4.2b of Iran’s blocked oil revenues have been transferred to a designated Swiss bank accountˈ. Iran and the sextet – Russia, China, the US, France, Britain and Germany -- inked a nuclear accord in the Swiss city of Geneva on November 24, 2013. Both sides have agreed to stage-by-stage implementation of the interim agreement reciprocating one another since January 20. Under the Geneva accord, the six countries agreed to lift some of the existing sanctions in exchange for Tehran’s confidence-building measure not to develop the national nuclear program for a six-month period. On January 12, Araqchi said $4.2b Iranian frozen assets would be released in eight stages and Tehran, in return, would oxidize its 20 percent enriched uranium within a year. In reaction to the German Chancellor recent remarks on Iranˈs nuclear issue, Araqchi told IRNA that Angela Merkel has confessed to Iranˈs right for enrichment. ˈMerkel recent remarks show that the international community has accepted Iranˈs right for enrichment.ˈ ˈThe Zionists are doing their best to prevent negotiations to go forward; P5+1 member states should continue the talks with good faith.ˈ/end