President Raeisi: Iran took great strides in neutralizing sanctions

President Ebrahim Raeisi has hailed Iran's significant progress across various areas in the face of Western sanctions.

The Islamic Republic, he said, has made great progress in the fields of science, technology, production, and industry, despite the threats and sanctions that have been directed at the country.

The president made the remarks, meeting with Vuong Dinh Hue, the visiting chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam or the Vietnamese parliament, and the latter's accompanying delegation, in Tehran on Tuesday.

Iran has made great strides towards neutralizing the sanctions by focusing on the growth of production and trade, Raeisi added.

Iran was granted limited sanctions relief in 2015 upon conclusion of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), an agreement between the Islamic Republic and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council -- the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France -- plus Germany.

The US, however, left the agreement in 2018 as part of former president Donald Trump's so-called "maximum pressure" policy against Iran, returning all the sanctions that the deal had lifted. The US's allies in the deal -- France, Britain, and Germany -- then bowed under Washington's pressure by toeing the sanction line and suspending their trade activities with Tehran.

The Vietnams official, for his part, considered the Iranian nation's great achievements in the face of the coercive economic measures to be admirable and a source of inspiration for the Southeast Asian country's nation.

On bilateral ties

Turning to the issue of the bilateral ties, the Iranian chief executive pointed to the 50-year-old history of the countries' relations, and considered nations' independence- and right-seeking spirit to be an instance of commonality between them.

Raeisi regretted that the countries' commercial and economic relations had not advanced as far as their diplomatic ties had.

He noted earlier signing of a memorandum of understanding between the countries in the field of parliamentary relations, saying the Vietnamese official's visit could also serve as a turning point in the development of the countries' commercial and economic relations.

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"Development of the countries' relations may not sit well with some governments," Raeisi said, adding, "What matters, however, is [adoption of] effective steps towards fulfillment of the countries' and the nations' interests."

The Vietnamese top parliamentarian expressed interest on the part of his country in the expansion of Hanoi's interaction and cooperation with Tehran and enhancement of these relations to the level of regional and international cooperation.

He also said his government was inclined towards conclusion of a 50-year roadmap outlining the future of the countries' relations.

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