Europeans want Iran bank connected to world: French senator  

TEHRAN

Philippe Bonnecarrere (R),president of France-Iran Friendship Group at the French Senate, Kazem Jalali (C), president of France-Iran Friendship Group at Iran’s Parliament and Delphine O (L), president of France-Iran Friendship Group at the French National Assembly, give a joint press conference in the Iranian capital Tehran on Oct. 21.

European nations are seeking to ensure at least one Iranian bank stays connected to the world after the U.S. imposed new sanctions against the country, a French senator said in Tehran on Oct. 21.

The United States pulled out of a landmark 2015 nuclear deal with Iran in May and has been re-imposing punishing sanctions on the Islamic republic, targeting in particular its financial system.

The European efforts to help Iranians benefit from the nuclear deal despite the U.S. sanctions is “difficult but it’s possible”, said French Senator Philippe Bonnecarrere.

One way was “to have at least one Iranian bank remain connected to the international banking system through SWIFT to keep up commercial relations on goods or services that are not subject to sanctions,” he added.

Bonnecarrere, who heads the France-Iran friendship group in the upper house of parliament, made the remarks during a news conference with French and Iranian counterparts.

The 2015 nuclear deal was agreed between Iran and the so-called 5+1 group – U.N. Security Council permanent members Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, plus Germany.

Bonnecarrere was in Iran with six other members of the French parliament.

The visit was a sign of “all the determination and all the will of France to keep alive the nuclear agreement,” said Delphine O, one of lawmakers.