Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov discussed the situation around the nuclear deal in the interests of its preservation and full implementation on Thursday with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Arakchi, who is in Moscow on a visit.
"The main attention was paid to the development of the situation in connection with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action for the settlement of the Iranian nuclear program (JCPOA), the issues of cooperation between Russia and Iran, as well as other members of the JCPOA in the interests of its preservation and full implementation," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
The Ministry added that the parties also discussed some other issues of mutual interest.
The future of the nuclear deal was questioned after the US unilateral withdrawal from it on May 8, 2018, and the imposition of sanctions against Tehran in the field of oil exports by Washington. According to Tehran, the rest of the participants, primarily Europeans, do not fully adhere to their obligations in the economic part of the agreement, so the deal as it stands makes no sense. As a result, Iran has begun to suspend in stages its commitments under the JCPOA for uranium enrichment and research activities, and in early January announced the completion of this process. The embargo on supplies to Iran, as well as on exports of conventional weapons from that country, expired on October 18. The US has been opposed to the lifting of the arms embargo on Iran over the past few months. However, Russia, China and European countries did not support Washington's initiatives in the UN Security Council to prolong the embargo to Tehran.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Press Service of the Russian Foreign Ministry / TASS
Based on materials from TASS