France urges Iran to use EU visit to try and conclude nuclear deal

FILE PHOTO: The Iranian flag waves in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Vienna, Austria May 23, 2021. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger

France on Friday urged Iran to take advantage of a visit by European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell to try and conclude a nuclear deal, while it remained possible.

"We are ready to reach a conclusion on this deal and we urge Iran to take advantage of this diplomatic opportunity to conclude it now, while it still remains possible," said a statement from the French foreign affairs ministry.

EU politician Borrell will visit Iran from Friday to Saturday to try to urge Tehran to seal an agreement to revive the nuclear deal with world powers signed in 2015, which the United States withdrew from but is now seeking to save.

High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell speaks to the members of the media as he arrives for a meeting of Western Balkans countries leaders with EU leaders in Brussels, Belgium June 23, 2022. REUTERS/Johanna Geron

(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta)