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Macron to meet Trump, Iran’s Rouhani at UN in New York
PARIS, Sept 19, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – President Emmanuel Macron will separately
meet his US and Iranian counterparts, Donald Trump and Hassan Rouhani, during
the UN General Assembly in New York next week, the French presidency said
Wednesday.
Macron will meet Trump on Monday afternoon before having dinner with UN
Secretary General Antonio Guterres. On Tuesday, the French president will
address the assembly and hold talks with Rouhani, an Elysee Palace official
said.
The meetings come as Macron and other European leaders try to salvage a
landmark 2015 accord to curb Tehran’s nuclear programme, which Trump pulled
the US out of last May.
Trump has signalled that he might be willing to meet with Rouhani as well,
after re-imposing sanctions against Iran last month.
A new round of even harsher sanctions is set to go into effect in November
targeting Iran’s vital oil sector.
The sanctions have hit Iran’s economy hard since foreign companies can no
longer operate in the country without running the risk of being targeted by
US penalties.
The US accuses Iran of destabilising the Middle East by pursuing missile
development and its intervention in conflicts in neighbouring countries
including Syria and Yemen.
Iranian officials have repeatedly indicated they have no plans to hold
talks with Trump when the general debate opens at the assembly on Tuesday.
BSS/AFP/RY/1925 hrs