Russia considers the attempts to represent the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iranian Nuclear Program) as outdated dangerous and irresponsible, First Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations Dmitry Polyanskiy said at a UN Security Council meeting on Tuesday.
"We consider dangerous and irresponsible statements that the JCPOA is supposedly outdated, that it should be updated, expanded and so on. The deal contains a carefully calibrated balance of interests and should be implemented as it was approved by the UN Security Council in 2015, without exceptions or additions," the diplomat said.
"Nor can we agree with some views that it is allegedly losing relevance due to the fact that the Vienna process is not moving fast enough. There is no alternative to the JCPOA at the moment," Polanskiy stressed.
On the US actions
The root cause of problems in the negotiations for a full return to compliance with the provisions of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran's nuclear program is the actions of the United States, not Tehran, Polanskiy said.
"Let's be objective and not forget that the root cause of all current problems is precisely the US line, not Iran," he said, speaking at a UN Security Council meeting.
The Russian diplomat expressed regret that "despite such a complicated context of the Vienna talks, the US party continues the policy of maximum pressure on Iran". Polyanskiy added that the words of the US about returning to fulfillment of the JCPOA "should be proved by deeds."
On pressure on JCPOA reinstatement negotiations
Russia calls on countries not to put pressure on the course of negotiations to restore the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran's nuclear program, the first deputy permanent representative of Russia to the UN said.
"The most important thing is that now [in Vienna] there is a normal diplomatic process. <...> There is no need to try to spur this process, to somehow put pressure on its participants from outside," Polyanskiy said. - "I am sure that if they [the negotiators] show a pragmatic and constructive approach, aimed at finding a balance of interests, then a satisfactory outcome for all will be found".
The seventh round of talks on the Iranian nuclear deal and the lifting of Washington's sanctions against Tehran began in Vienna on November 29 and was suspended on December 3 when European participants returned to their countries for additional consultations before continuing the dialogue. On December 9, the next stage took place, at which the Islamic Republic presented the parties with a draft agreement to renew the nuclear deal in the form of two documents on the lifting of US sanctions and issues on the atomic program.
The meetings in the Austrian capital discuss the prospects for a full return to compliance with the JCPOA. The deal was signed with Iran in 2015 to address the crisis over its nuclear program by the permanent "five" of the UN Security Council and Germany. Previous US President Donald Trump decided in 2018 to withdraw from the JCPOA.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Zuma \ TASS
Based on materials from TASS