Tehran pushes US for access to global financial system

Turkish Prime Minister Davutoglu, Iranian President Rouhani agree to improve countries’ economic ties, banking a priority

DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran’s main goal in its nuclear talks with world powers was to secure access to the global financial system, and the US must now do more to remove obstacles to the banking sector, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Saturday.

In January, world powers led by the United States and the European Union lifted most sanctions on Iran in return for curbs on its nuclear program.

But some US sanctions remain, and US banks remain prohibited from doing business with Iran directly or indirectly because Washington still accuses Tehran of supporting terrorism.

That has deterred European institutions, which fear they could face US legal problems if they reestablish banking links.

Zarif used the visit of EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, the first by a high-level EU delegation since the deal came into force in January, to make his point.

“Iran and the EU will put pressure on the United States to facilitate the cooperation of non-American banks with Iran,” Zarif said at a news conference in Tehran with Mogherini who said in a tweet that she was leading a team of seven EU commissioners.

“It’s essential that the other side, especially the United States, fulfill its commitments not on paper but in practice and removes the obstacles especially in banking sector,” he said.

Zarif and Mogherini said in a joint statement after the news conference that the EU and Iran were agreed on the expansion of economic relations, and “encouraging banking cooperation.”

The White House said on Friday that an agreement with Iran does not include giving it access to the global financial system.

Iranian central bank Gov. Valiollah Seif met with US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew on Thursday in Washington and said they discussed Iran’s expectations under the nuclear deal.

Lew told Seif that the United States would keep meeting “its sanctions-related commitments in good faith” as long as Iran continues to uphold its end of the bargain.

Meanwhile on Friday, Turkey’s Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani agreed to improve economic cooperation, with banking a priority, prime ministry sources told Reuters.

The two countries also agreed to increase trade and mutual investments, the sources said.