Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says all obstacles in the way of the expansion of cooperation between the Islamic Republic and the European Union must be removed.

“The European Union should not be affected by the measures taken by other countries and powers in cooperating with Iran,” Zarif said in a meeting with El?bieta Bie?kowska, the EU commissioner for internal market, industry, entrepreneurship and small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), in Tehran on Tuesday.

He pointed to the positive atmosphere for cooperation created after the implementation of last year’s nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries, which led to the lifting of nuclear-related sanctions on Iran.

“The European Union plays a very important role in taking advantage of conditions created after the removal of sanctions,” the top Iranian diplomat pointed out.

Zarif said Iran and the EU's private and state-run sectors have the potential to improve cooperation in many sectors.

Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council – the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia – plus Germany reached the JCPOA on July 14, 2015.

Under the nuclear agreement, which took effect in January, Iran undertook to put limitations on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related bans imposed against the country.

EU seeks long-term participation in Iran

Bie?kowska, for her part, said the 28-nation bloc seeks long-term cooperation with Iran and added that grounds should be prepared for such interaction at the earliest.

She urged the strengthening of cooperation with Iran in different fields such as tourism.

By Press TV