Russia condemns any attempts to derail negotiations of the Joint commission of Iran and the international "Five" (Germany, France, Britain, China and Russia) to review the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on the Iranian nuclear program in Vienna, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday at a press conference following talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
"We support the talks now underway on the Vienna platform and condemn any attempts to derail these crucial talks," Lavrov said.
"We discussed in detail the situation around the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran's nuclear program. As you know, the way to preserve the plan, we have repeatedly stressed this, is exclusively through its consistent and full implementation by all parties involved in strict compliance with [UN Security Council] Resolution 2231. We expect that the JCPOA will be preserved and Washington will finally return to full compliance with the Security Council resolution, which, in turn, will create prerequisites for Iran's compliance with all the requirements of the nuclear deal," Lavrov said.
The Minister added that the EU's imposition of new sanctions on Iran raises a huge number of questions, it is a big mistake. "I just learned today that the EU has imposed sanctions against a number of Iranian officials for alleged human rights violations. I haven't seen the full text yet, but the fact itself raises a huge number of questions," the Russian Foreign Minister said. - "If there is no coordination in the EU and the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing, it's a problem. But if this decision is deliberately made in the midst of negotiations to save the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [on the Iranian nuclear program], this is no longer a problem, this is a mistake that is worse than a crime".
Lavrov once again stressed that Russia condemns any attempts to undermine the process currently underway in Vienna between the JCPOA participants. "I hope that our European colleagues realize the unacceptability of such actions and will take measures to prevent the negotiations from being disrupted," the Minister added.
Tehran expresses its willingness to move immediately to return to full implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran's nuclear program with appropriate steps by the US, Lavrov noted. "It is our understanding that partners in Tehran express their willingness to move immediately in this direction with appropriate steps required of the United States," he said.
Extraterritorial sanctions
Extraterritorial sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union on countries cooperating with Iran should be completely eliminated, Lavrov stressed. "Here is this extraterritoriality, which is now observed in the actions of the American side, and the European Union is following the same inclined plane, rolling in the same direction, replacing all legitimate methods with unilateral actions. This extraterritoriality must be completely eliminated. We are currently negotiating about that in Vienna as well," he said. According to Lavrov, the full return of the US to the JCPOA should include not only the lifting of sanctions against Iran, but also all the restrictions that are imposed on foreign companies for cooperating with this country.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS