The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) on Saturday urged European countries to remain committed to their promises regarding the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

Ali Akbar Salehi expressed hope that the European Union (EU) will fulfill its pledges to secure Iran's interests, which were made in the recent meetings with the Iranian delegation in Brussels.

Salehi made the remarks in the joint press conference with the visiting EU's energy chief Miguel Arias Canete.

US President Donald Trump signs a proclamation declaring his intention to withdraw from the JCPoA Iran nuclear agreement in the Diplomatic Room at the White House in Washington, US May 8, 2018. /VCG Photo 

The EU's efforts to save the nuclear contract show that the deal, also known as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA), is a very important agreement for the region and the world, Salehi said.

However, if the Europeans fail to undertake their obligations, Iran has to press ahead with its peaceful nuclear development with full determination, he said.

The Iranian official noted that the EU and the Iranian authorities have also discussed replacing the US dollar with the euro in their trade transactions, and that the EU has taken initial steps in this regard.

The US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear agreement, once more, proved to the world that Washington is not reliable in implementing its international obligations, said Salehi.

The flags of (l-r) the European Union, Iran, France, Germany and Great Britain are pictured before political conversation on May 15, 2018 in Brussels, Belgium. /VCG Photo

US' exit from the deal may cause some problems, but it will not be able to cause serious ones, he stressed.

Also, Canete stressed that preserving the nuclear deal is significant for global and regional peace.

The EU has sent a message to their Iranian friends that as long as they are sticking to the agreement, the Europeans will remain committed, Canete said, adding that the EU bloc hopes to boost trade with Iran.

US President Donald Trump decided earlier this month to quit Iran nuclear deal and vowed to re-impose sanctions, including an oil embargo, on Tehran.

In this file photo taken on Jan. 10, 2017 shows Danish company Maersk containers stacked at the Saint-Nazaire harbour in Montoir-de-Bretagne, western France. /VCG Photo

Canete said Saturday that "we will have to ask for waivers, for carve outs for the [European] companies that make investments."

Besides, Salehi said that he discussed reapplying European law of "the blocking statute" with Canete on Saturday.

Iran is pushing for the EU to revive "the blocking statute" which is a 1996 regulation that prohibits EU companies and courts from complying with foreign sanctions and stipulates that no foreign court judgments based on these laws have any effect in the EU.

Canete arrived in Tehran on Friday for a two-day visit to reassure Iran that the EU wants to keep trade open and remain cooperating with Iran despite the US decision to pull out.

(Cover: Miguel Arias Canete (L), European Union Energy Commissioner, during a meeting with Iranian officials in the capital Tehran on May 19, 2018. /VCG Photo)