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Monday, May 6, 2024 9:48 GMT
Governor of Central Bank of Iran Abdonnaser Hemmati and Japanese Ambassador to Tehran Kazutoshi Aikawa discussed the methods of using Iranian banking resources in Japan, including purchase of COVID-19 vaccine, on Monday. The CBI governor urged Japan to cooperate regardless of political pressure and take an initiative and help Iran transfer its fund. The envoy, for his part, pledged to improve the relations between the two countries’ banks in an effort to settle the issue.In the meeting, Hemmati referred to the previous meetings with Japanese high-rank officials about his emphasis that the era of maximum pressure of the previous US administration US is over and said that friend countries should regardless of political pressures keep their cooperation. Stressing that the Iranian resources in Japan should be used, Hemmati added that Japan should be innovative in this regard. Japanese ambassador thanked Central Bank of Iran for accelerating payment of Iranian companies to Japanese parties and suggested that the Iranian resources in Japan be used for purchasing COVID-19 vaccine, stressing that the Japanese Embassy in Tehran will try to create a connection between central banks of the two countries for facilitating financial and banking affairs.Last week, Iran's foreign minister called on Japan to unfreeze Iran’s assets blocked in Japanese banks due to the US sanctions, and also persuade newly inaugurated US President Joe Biden to lift the bans imposed on Iran. Speaking in an interview with Kyodo News, Mohammad Javad Zarif called Japan an old friend of Iran and noted its good relations with the United States, Press TV reported."We expect Japan to act as a friend, particularly when it comes to international law,” Zarif said, referring to the illegal nature of the US sanctions. "Since the United States is violating international law, the best role that Japan can play is to show Americans that Japan will not implement their illegal decisions," he said. Zarif specifically called on Japan to unfreeze Iranian assets frozen in Japanese banks due to US sanctions, as a gesture to Iran by the new government of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who came to power last September. According to Zarif, frozen assets in Japan and South Korea total close to US$10 billion. Japan's share – mainly revenue from crude oil exports to Japan – is estimated to be just under US$3 billion. - Tasnim, IRNA, Iran Daily