Meeting between Borrell and Amir-Abdollahian; Islamic Republic Must Respect Fundamental Freedoms of the People

The EU's foreign policy chief met with Iranian Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, condemning the arbitrary detention of EU citizens and calling for a diplomatic solution to the JCPOA and an end to military cooperation with Russia. According to the EU website, Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief and coordinator of the JCPOA joint commission, discussed the 'most urgent issues' related to EU-Iran bilateral relations and recent developments regarding the JCPOA. Borrell conveyed the EU's 'strong condemnation' of the arbitrary detention of many EU citizens, including dual nationals, in the Islamic Republic and once again urged Amir-Abdollahian to release all EU citizens. He emphasized that the 'EU's position' regarding the 'very concerning human rights situation' in the country remains 'unchanged' and that the Islamic Republic must ensure that fundamental freedoms—'as stated by the 27 EU member states on the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death'—are respected. Borrell also stressed the importance of 'de-escalation' regarding the JCPOA and urged the Islamic Republic to reconsider its decision to revoke the credentials of International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors. He reaffirmed the EU's strong support for the IAEA and reiterated the necessity of finding a diplomatic solution to the nuclear issue within the framework of the JCPOA. At the end of the meeting, Borrell once again called on the Islamic Republic to halt its 'military cooperation' with Russia in the 'aggressive and illegal war against Ukraine.' Borrell had previously stated that as a result of the EU's reactions to the suppression of protests following Mahsa Amini's death in police custody, EU-Iran relations have undergone a 'clear change.' He made this statement on the eve of the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death in a speech at the 'European Parliament,' saying, 'We are all horrified by how the Islamic Republic's officials have treated domestic political dissenters. We find the Islamic Republic's response to the protests unacceptable.'