US State Department “Talks with Iranian nuclear agreement partners…sound progress”
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The U.S., Iran and the European Union (EU) and other parties to the 2015 Iran Nuclear Agreement (JCPOA, Comprehensive Joint Action Plan) will gather in Vienna, Austria on the 6th to discuss restoration of the agreement. Although direct talks between the United States and Iran will not be held, it is highly likely that indirect discussions will take place through EU arbitration.
The US State Department confirmed on the 2nd (local time) that the US will also participate in discussions on restoration of the agreement in Austria next week by the parties to the 2015 nuclear agreement, including the EU, China, Russia and Iran.
Reuters reported that State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement today that the United States will not hold direct talks between the two sides to revert to a nuclear agreement with Iran, Reuters reported in Vienna with European, Russian and Chinese partners to discuss issues on the issue. He said he had agreed to talks. Spokesman Price said the discussion is still in its infancy and “we do not expect an immediate breakthrough as there will be difficult discussions in the future,” he said. “I believe this is sound progress.”
The Office of Foreign Relations (EEAS), which oversees the foreign policy of the European Union (EU), also announced that the countries participating in the Joint Committee on Iran’s Nuclear Agreement agreed on the resumption of the meeting in Vienna on the 6th.
However, no direct bilateral talks between the United States and Iran will be held, Reuters reported. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Jarif said on Twitter today that they agreed to hold face-to-face talks with the E3 (Germany, France, UK) + 2 (Russia, China) countries in Vienna on the 6th, but there was no negotiation with the United States.
The 2015 nuclear agreement aims to lift US sanctions against Iran instead of restricting Iran’s nuclear activities. As Donald Trump withdrew from the nuclear agreement in May 2018 and revived sanctions against Iran, the agreement was broken, and Iran has been violating the provisions of phased out nuclear program freeze and reduction since May 2019. Although the Joe Biden administration expressed its position to return to the nuclear agreement, it is in a position that Iran must first comply with the agreement to lift the sanctions, so it is unable to find any contact with Iran, which is demanding the lifting of preemptive sanctions.
/ Reporter Kwak Yoon-ah [email protected]
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