No reason to maintain sanctions: Rouhani

Tehran, March 2: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has said that the basis for nuclear talks is to try to find common grounds and mutual confidence-building and that there is no reason to maintain sanctions.

Rouhani made the remarks in a meeting with Italian Foreign Minister Paulo Gentiloni on Sunday, state run IRNA news agency reported on Monday.

Referring to the constructive role of Italy in the course of nuclear talks with the Western governments, Rouhani underlined that unfortunately in recent years sanctions with unjustified basis have damaged everybody, including the European Union countries.

Iran has always been committed to its obligations and Iran was serious in settlement of the nuclear dispute, the president said.

He said that there was no way except negotiations to settle the dispute and that the basis for holding the nuclear talks was to find common grounds and mutual confidence and that sanctions should be removed immediately.

Rouhani said that terrorism has posed a major threat to the international community and global cooperation was needed to get rid of this menace.

He said that the Iranian government had repeatedly warned Western governments that if they supported terrorism in countries like Syria, Iraq and Libya, they would face such threats in their own homelands as well.

IANS