The Vienna nuclear agreement defused an acute crisis in the Middle East and is now regarded as one of the core elements of the global non proliferation architecture. For us Europeans, as the region’s neighbours, it is a central component of our security. That is why we will work, together and with our partners, to preserve and implement it. We have an overriding interest in doing so.

That is not to say that, this aside, there are no major serious problems which we need to tackle. These include Iran’s role in the region and the country’s missile programme. We will also be discussing the situation in Iran. It was important that President Rouhani said that the Iranian people have a right to have their grievances taken seriously and their legitimate demands heard, and that problems must be resolved. We can only welcome this and encourage the Iranian Government to conduct such a dialogue.