Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arahchi (right) is holding a videoconference on Iran’s nuclear negotiations at the office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tehran on the 2nd. Tehran=AFP Yonhap News
The parties to the Iran Nuclear Agreement (JCPOA, Comprehensive Joint Action Plan) will discuss the restoration of the agreement in Vienna, Austria on the 6th. As the United States confirmed its intention to participate, a green light came on to restore the Iranian nuclear agreement that had collapsed due to the unilateral destruction of former US President Donald Trump.
The Office of Foreign Relations (EEAS), which oversees the foreign policy of the European Union (EU), announced on the 2nd (local time) that the participating countries of the Iranian Nuclear Agreement Joint Committee agreed to resume meetings in Vienna on the 6th. The EEAS made this statement after a videoconference of the joint committee on the same day, and explained that the next week’s meeting is to clarify the issue of sanctions lifted and nuclear implementation measures.
State Department spokesman Ned Price also said in a statement that day, “The United States has agreed to talks with European, Russian and Chinese partners to ascertain issues related to returning to compliance with the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran.” “We don’t expect an immediate breakthrough as there will be difficult discussions in the future,” he said. “But we believe this is a healthy progress.”
As a result, the green light was on for the restoration of the Iranian nuclear agreement. Iran’s nuclear agreement with five permanent members of the UN Security Council in 2015 (US, UK, France, Russia, China) and six countries, including Germany, aims to lift US sanctions against Iran instead of restricting its nuclear activities.
However, the Trump administration withdrew from the nuclear agreement in May 2018 and revived sanctions against Iran. Iran, which rebelled against this, did not comply with the provisions of the freeze/reduction of nuclear programs promised in the nuclear agreement in stages from May 2019. Although the Joe Biden administration is in a position to return to the nuclear agreement, it is running parallel with Iran, which demands the lifting of sanctions in advance, saying that the sanctions can be lifted only if Iran first adheres to the agreement again.
However, direct talks between the United States and Iran are not expected to be held at this meeting. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Jarif said on Twitter today that they agreed to hold face-to-face talks with E3 (Germany, France, UK) + 2 (Russia and China) countries in Vienna, but there is no negotiation with the United States.
Heo Gyeongju reporter [email protected]
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