Slugfest to Israel between Kurz and Rouhani

It should be a joint commitment to the Iranian nuclear deal that Vienna and Tehran wanted to make during Iranian President Hbadan Rouhani's visit to Vienna on Wednesday. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) intrigued the guest but under the impression of mbadive anti-Iran protests in a verbal exchange on the subject of Israel, which suddenly forgot the harmony.

Short pointed out in a press with Rouhani that Austria "have a very special responsibility" vis-à-vis Israel, then head to Tehran. "In our opinion, it is absolutely unacceptable to question the right of Israel to exist or to call for the destruction of Israel." The security of Israel is not negotiable for us as the Republic of Austria.

Rouhani:

Rouhani, who had left a reference to the right to the existence of Israel in the previous appearance before President Alexander Van der Bellen, did not leave this question aside and made a historical lesson: "We, the Iranians, have saved the Jews in Babylon, they have a debt to us," Rouhani has been striving to organize millennial events.The Iranians have "good relations with Jews from all over the world, "he badured

The situation is different with the" Zionists "(Israel, n.), who as" occupation forces and oppressors "remove the streaks. even supports the Islamic State (IS) in Syria. "They treat the wounded from ISIS in Israel," said Rouhani, who attributed a "destructive" role to the Israeli government in the region. dismissed the Chancellor's criticism with an ironic reference to the fact that there are "some countries that have some sensibilities towards the Jews. "

Kurz called in advance with Netanyahu

A spokesman for the Chancellor told the APA that Kurz had telephoned to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before receiving Rouhani. "It was important for the Chancellor to hear the Israeli point of view before the visit." Briefly, in the run-up to the visit, mbadive critics of Israel, the Jewish Community (IKG) and the Iranian critical alliance "Stop the bomb" yesterday called the "Bild" newspaper to loudly draw to unload Rouhani. The head of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Jerusalem, Efraim Zuroff, compared Rouhani to Adolf Hitler and said in reference to the Chancellor's visit to Israel the previous month: "The invitation to Rouhani is in stark contrast to the concern, Short of Israel Security was expressed. "

The visit was overshadowed by a diplomatic scandal involving a member of the Iranian Embbady in Vienna, who had been arrested by the authorities German courts on the basis of a European arrest warrant this weekend. Unlike the Federal President, the Chancellor referred to this case in his statement and congratulated Rouhani for "supporting the Enlightenment".

Iranian diplomats were deprived of their status Yesterday, the State Department announced that the diplomat would be deprived of his official status. The Iranian diplomat reportedly prepared explosives for an alleged attack on a rally of thousands of Iranian exiles in Paris. Foreign Minister Zarif spoke of a "strange false flag", a conspiracy that should be "virtually" attributed to Iran on the occasion of Rouhani's visit to Europe. Representatives of Iranian exiles demonstrated against Rouhani on Wednesday at Stephansplatz

The Iranian President was received Wednesday morning by the Federal President in the inner courtyard. The protesters of "Stop the Bomb" were banned from the other side of the ring because of the widespread ban on space, and described as "politically dubious" of To be out of sight and within earshot of Rouhani. "We consider that it is fatal that this scheme be deployed on the red carpet," said the bomb representative at the stop, Stephan Grigat, at the APA. He calls Rouhani "the friendly face of terror" and calls for the overthrow of the Iranian regime.

A clear commitment to the nuclear agreement

The visit is not very productive, even from the point of view of freedom of the press. After Rouhani's meeting with Van der Bellen and Kurz, there were statements to the press, but the questions were not admitted – without reason and contrary to the usual practice.

In terms of content, the atomic agreement was clearly expected. "If the other signatories can safeguard the interests of Iran, Iran will pursue the JCPOA, without the United States," Rouhani said after the meeting with Van der Bellen. "Provided we can benefit," he said, examining the economic benefits needed. In this context, a meeting of Foreign Ministers of the remaining five Contracting Parties in Vienna is expected on Friday. "We hope that the ongoing talks will have a positive result," said Kurz

. Van der Bellen described the nuclear agreement as "a key element of the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons". Referring to the American critique of the agreement, he said: "The nuclear agreement has never been designed to solve all the problems of our relations with Iran, and the 39, nuclear agreement with Iran opened a window on other important issues. 19659003] Last station: Economic Chamber

As later, Van der Bellen also stressed the need to engage in a dialogue with Iran, with which Austria combines a centuries-old common history . To confirm this, Foreign Ministers Mohammad Javad Zarif and Karin Kneissl (FPÖ) opened an exhibition in the afternoon on the occasion of the 160th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vienna and Tehran in the afternoon. Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW). A Memorandum of Understanding on furthering cooperation in the field of research has also been solemnly signed.

Rouhani's last visit at the end of the afternoon was the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKÖ), where the Iranian president wanted to deliver a speech on economic relations. For a brief moment, Rouhani 's appearance in the press showed that the volume of bilateral trade of 300 million euros the previous year had again reached the level prior to the imposition of sanctions. Van der Bellen expressed the hope that economic relations would not only be maintained, but also deepened, despite US sanctions that will also apply from the month of August.

Shortly after the conversation with Rouhani, the issue of human rights was raised For which Austria appealed to the world, Van der Bellen stressed the close social contacts between the two countries. Specifically, he mentioned the fact that 2,000 doctors born in Iran practice in Austria. "This is unusually high," says Van der Bellen – not to mention that many of these people had to leave the country because of the Islamic Revolution of 1979.

There was no mention of one. another significant number, namely that of Iran's asylum applications. According to the asylum statistics of the Ministry of the Interior, Iranian asylum seekers had, in the first five months of this year, with 73%, the second rate of recognition after the citizens of the civil war in Syria. 431 asylum applications were filed by Iranians from January to May, placing the country in third place behind Syria and Afghanistan.