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French FM to stress Iran's "regional actions", ballistic missiles

PARIS, March 4 (KUNA) -- While acknoweldging the need to keep the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, French Foreign Minsiter Jean-Yves le Drian will stress the major concerns of France with Iran's "regional actions" and the pursuit of its ballistic missile programme, the French Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.
Le Drian arrives in Tehran on March 5 for a one-day visit during which he will meet with President Hassan Rouhani, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, in addition to holding talks with Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani, the French minstry indicated in a statement.
High on the agenda will be France's expressed "determination to preserve the good accord" on the nuclear proliferation and the halt to Iran's efforts to develop a nuclear weapon.
"Iran must continue to rigourously implement the obligations that bind it (and) in parallel it is important for us, like for Iran, that the resumption of trade and European investments in this country continue," the Foreign Ministry said.
Concerning Iran's contested ballistic missile programmes, France wants Iran to completely conform to UN Resolution 2231 and halt activities that "are a factor of destabilisation in the region." Paris is also expressing concern about the transfer of missiles to State and non-State actors in the region. French statements have already warned Iran about supplying missiles to Houthi rebels in Yemen, for example, missiles that have been fired on Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Le Drian will propose a dialogue on this subject during his visit to Tehran on Monday.
France's Chief Diplomat will also address concerns about Iranian sponsoring of regional militant movements like in Yemen, Lebanon and Iraq, and Le Drian will also broach the humanitarian crisis in Syria, where Iran is providing support to the Damascus regime.
The two sides will also address a number of bilateral issues and discuss cultural, scientific and other forms of cooperation. (end) jk.mt