FM: Iran seeks removal of all sanctions inconsistent with JCPOA
Political Desk
The Iranian foreign minister reiterated Tehran’s position on the need for removing all the sanctions inconsistent with the 2015 nuclear deal and paying attention to the Islamic Republic’s red lines in the talks in Vienna on the restoration of the deal.
Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks in an address to a Friday meeting with his Dutch counterpart, Wopke Hoekstra, in Munich on the sidelines of the 58th Munich Security Conference (MSC), where the two sides also exchanged views on the latest state of the Vienna talks, according to Press TV.
Iran and the Netherlands, Amir-Abdollahian said, should work to bring their views closer and implement bilateral agreements to further develop their relations.
Hoekstra expressed hope that an agreement would be reached in Vienna as soon as possible and stressed Amsterdam’s preparedness to expand its ties with Tehran.
The Dutch foreign minister also voiced hope to visit Tehran soon.
‘Consider Iran’s red lines’
In another meeting on Friday, Amir-Abdollahian said Iran has called on the remaining participants to the deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), to consider the Islamic Republic’s red lines and avoid using media hype to sway negotiations in Vienna.
Making the remarks during a meeting with his German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock, the Iranian foreign minister noted that from the first day of the Vienna talks, Iran has been resolutely determined to reach a good agreement.
“The Islamic Republic expects the Europeans and [other] JCPOA parties to carefully consider Iran’s red lines and after years of inaction try to play an effective role in securing the legitimate rights of Iran as a party that was affected by the United States’ unilateral and illegal withdrawal” from the JCPOA, he said.
The top Iranian diplomat also rejected claims on the imposition of fictitious deadlines in the Vienna talks and stressed, “Tehran is taking heed of both the quality of an agreement and the element of time. If Iran’s legitimate demands are taken into account today, an agreement can be reached in Vienna.”
He further underlined the need for the opposite side not to make a miscalculation in the final days of the Vienna discussions by creating media hype.
Pointing to the history of relations between Iran and Germany in some areas of mutual interest, Amir-Abdollahian expressed Tehran’s readiness to hold a joint commission at the earliest agreed upon time and expand bilateral economic, political, cultural and scientific ties, as well as cooperation in the technical field and between the two countries’ private sectors.
The German foreign minister welcomed the expansion of all-out bilateral relations and emphasized Berlin’s resolve in this regard.
She also said that the negotiations in Vienna have reached a critical stage and that it is necessary for all parties to do their best to pass the current level in the shortest possible time and open a new chapter.
Iran’s rights should be respected while efforts must be stepped up towards a good agreement in Vienna, Baerbock added.
Moreover, in a Saturday meeting with his Swedish counterpart, Ann Linde, in Munich, Amir-Abdollahian highlighted Iran’s resolve to reach a good agreement in Vienna in case the other parties fulfill their commitments, according to official news agency IRNA.
In a meeting on the same day with Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, Amir-Abdollahian said Iran is resolved to reach a good agreement in the shortest time; but it completely depends on the U.S. will and behavior as well as Europe’s attention to the principles and laws of negotiation whether such an agreement would be reached in a few days or a few weeks.
West’s choice
In another meeting with his Austrian counterpart, Alexander Schallenberg, Amir-Abdollahian thanked the country for hosting the nuclear negotiations, saying, today, Vienna is a center of developments in important areas for Iran and the international community.
Reiterating the importance of Iran’s red lines and warning against any failure to consider them, he noted that if the final options for the Islamic Republic would be not reaching an agreement, on the one hand, and turning a blind eye to its people’s interests, on the other, Tehran’s definite choice will be respecting national interests.
Describing as inevitable the principle for the sustainability of any agreement striking and maintaining a balance between rights and responsibilities, the Iranian foreign minister said, at present, the Western sides must make their final decisions as to whether they want to put an end to their ongoing economic terrorism, inaction and nonfulfillment of promises, or still seek to let the issue remain a bone of contention by giving unacceptable pretexts.
He stressed that launching media campaigns by the United States and the E3 will not impact the absolute mission of the Iranian negotiating team, which is to protect the interests and rights of the country’s people.
Schallenberg said the final steps in negotiations normally becomes very tough and, at times, herculean, noting that no progress may be made on some days, but “we all have to make efforts to reach an agreement”.
Upon arrival in Germany on Friday, Amir-Abdollahian expressed hope that the Vienna talks would lead to a “good agreement” in the near future.
He added, “We are still facing a number of unresolved issues in the Vienna talks, which are being continued in the Austrian capital with seriousness and the goal of arriving at a good agreement by [Iran’s top negotiator] Bagheri Kani and my colleagues.”
Amir-Abdollahian added that for the post-agreement era, Iran must hold talks with different countries to get prepared for the other parties’ return to their commitments and implementation of what was agreed upon under the JCPOA, which was signed in 2015.
He stressed that as for Iran, the Islamic Republic has already put its active initiatives on the negotiating table, noting, “We are very close to a good and accessible agreement.”
It is, however, the Western sides that have to submit their initiative and show real flexibility, the Iranian foreign minister said, emphasizing, “It is they who, through their approach toward Iran’s initiatives, will determine if the talks come to fruition within of a few days, or a few weeks.”
‘Completion close’
In a Saturday tweet, Russia's ambassador to international organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, said the “successful completion of the talks on the JCPOA” is close.
He made the remark in reaction to a Twitter post by Philippe Errera, the director general for political and security affairs at France’s Foreign Ministry, who had said negotiating teams of the E3 group of France, Britain and Germany will stay in the Austrian capital.
“E3 remain in Vienna as well! Our teams with clear mandate and full authority. Let’s focus on real issues,” Errera’s tweet reads.
Ulyanov added that although the heads of the E3 delegations will leave Vienna for a few days, the other members of their delegations will remain in the Austrian capital and continue the talks, “which is encouraging”.
“Great! The Heads of E3 delegations need to leave Vienna for a couple of days. But their teams will be available in Austrian capital for further negotiations! This is encouraging! We are close to successful completion of the talks on #JCPOA.”
In another post on his Twitter page, Errera said, “The goal shared with our partners is for the US to rejoin the JCPOA, lift sanctions and Iran to comply with its nuclear commitments under the agreement.” He added, “With our E3 partners Russia & China, we remain fully determined & mobilized to see a return to the agreement while there is still time.”
The United States left the JCPOA in 2018 and began to implement what it called the “maximum pressure” campaign of sanctions against the Islamic Republic, depriving the country of the economic benefits of the agreement, including the removal of sanctions, for which Iran had agreed to certain caps on its nuclear activities.
In the meantime, the other parties to the deal, in particular France, Britain and Germany, only paid lip service to safeguarding Iran’s economic dividends as promised under the JCPOA, prompting Iran – after an entire year of “strategic patience” – to reduce its nuclear obligations in a legal move under the deal.
The Vienna talks began last April on the assumption that the U.S., under President Joe Biden’s administration, is willing to repeal the so-called maximum pressure policy pursued by former president Donald Trump.
Tehran says it will not settle for anything less than the removal of all U.S. sanctions in a verifiable manner. It also wants guarantees that Washington would not abandon the agreement again.
Source: Iran Daily