China: Improvement in Iran-US diplomatic ties helps resolve nuclear standoff

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hong Lei said since the US is one of the six powers party to the nuclear talks with Iran, any move taken for rapprochement between Tehran and Washington would help settle Tehran's nuclear standoff with the West via peaceful ways. At a regular press conference on Monday, the Chinese spokesperson emphasized that the recent developments in Tehran-Washington ties would play a “conductive” role in advancing the political process of the settlement of Iran’s nuclear energy program and other hot-spot issues. "This is positive for maintaining and promoting regional peace and stability," Hong added. On Friday, the Islamic republic news agency reported that the Iranian and the US presidents talked over phone before President Rouhani’s departure from New York. The two presidents talked over the phone as President Rouhani was in a car and heading towards the New York International Airport. President Rouhani and President Obama discussed different issues during their phone conversation. The Iranian and US presidents underlined the need for a political will for expediting resolution of West’s standoff with Iran over the latter’s nuclear program. President Rouhani and President Obama stressed the necessity for mutual cooperation on different regional issues. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his US counterpart John Kerry have been commissioned to follow up talks between the two countries. Iran and the world powers have held several rounds of talks on a range of issues, with the main focus being on Iran’s nuclear energy program. The two sides wrapped up their latest round of negotiations on April 6 in the Kazakh city of Almaty. An earlier meeting had been held in the city on February 26-27. The US, Israel and some of their allies claim that Iran is pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program, with Washington and the European Union using the unfounded allegation as a pretext to impose sanctions on Iran. Tehran strongly rejects the groundless claim over its nuclear activities, maintaining that as a committed signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it is entitled to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.