Russia sees no reason to claim that Iran is slowing down negotiations in Vienna on returning to full implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran's nuclear program (JCPOA), Maria Zakharova, Director of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, said at a briefing on Thursday.
"We see no reason to claim that the Iranian side is slowing down this process," she said. - "Actually, it is not in its (Iranian party - TASS) interests, of which Tehran has repeatedly stated, because while the JCPOA is stalled, the illegal American sanctions are still in effect".
According to Zakharova, Washington has "more than once regretted the fatal decision of the previous administration to break the nuclear deal with Iran," when the United States unilaterally "simply ran away" from the JCPOA in violation of the methods and forms of withdrawal from the agreement worked out by American diplomats themselves.
"It is always harder to rebuild than to destroy," the diplomat continued. - "Washington needs to tangibly back up its repeated promises to return to the JCPOA with practical steps. Obviously, being a violator of the UN Security Council resolution makes Americans increasingly uncomfortable. For our part, we are doing everything necessary to help remedy the situation, and we hope that intensive negotiating efforts at the Vienna site will continue, despite the opposition of opponents to the nuclear deal."
"We proceed from the premise that there is no alternative to the JCPOA," said the spokesperson of the Russian Foreign Ministry. - "We are sure that its full-fledged implementation will improve the political climate in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf region and will certainly help reduce tension and strengthen trust in the region, as well as help eliminate the critical issues in the humanitarian sphere that have arisen due to the illegal developments in connection with the withdrawal of the United States from the deal".
This is not about a new deal
"The main question today is how to get the implementation of the JCPOA back on track in accordance with the parameters and conditions that were agreed upon in 2015 and enshrined in UNSCR 2231. We are not talking about a new deal," Zakharova said.
The official representative of the diplomatic mission drew attention to "the mutual intention of the participants in the negotiations in the Vienna format to achieve a result as soon as possible".
"There is a clear understanding that the way to the set goal is the correction of all violations by the American side and counter steps by Tehran to unfreeze the previously suspended voluntary commitments to limit nuclear activities," she summarized. - "We have to methodically, piece by piece, restore the balance of interests on which the JCPOA was originally built, which was lost as a result of US actions".
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Creative Commons
Based on materials from TASS