Iran deal parties stand firmly by agreement

VIENNA－Signatories to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, on Tuesday reaffirmed their commitment to the pact.

Secretary-general of the European External Action Service Helga Schmid, who chaired a meeting of the JCPOA Joint Commission, wrote on Twitter that participants at the meeting were "united in resolve to preserve the Iran deal and find a way to ensure full implementation of the agreement despite current challenges".

All participants, including delegates from China, France, Germany, Russia, Britain and Iran, reaffirmed the importance of preserving the agreement, recognizing that "it is a key element of the global nuclear nonproliferation architecture, as endorsed by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231", according to a statement published on the website of the EEAS later on Tuesday.

The delegates reaffirmed that the United States unilaterally announced its withdrawal from the JCPOA on May 8, 2018, and that it had not participated in any JCPOA-related activities subsequently, it said.

Complicating the matter, the US announced recently it was triggering a 30-day process to restore virtually all UN sanctions on Iran, invoking a "snapback" mechanism that is part of the JCPOA agreement. Washington's argument is that as an original participant it still has that right, even though it left the deal.

Other signatories to the JCPOA agreement have rejected that argument, setting the stage for a potential crisis in the Security Council later this month, with the US claiming to have reimposed sanctions and most of the rest of the world saying the Washington administration's action is illegal.

After US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo traveled to the UN to invoke the snapback on Aug 20, Indonesia's UN Ambassador Dian Triansyah Djani, whose country held the rotating council presidency, said there was overwhelming opposition in the 15-member body to the US position.

Without legal grounds

"The US, being a country that has withdrawn from the JCPOA, does not have the legal ground or legal standing to trigger a snapback," Fu Cong, director-general of the Department of Arms Control of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, told reporters after the meeting.

"This position has been echoed by the majority of the international community, as has been shown in the voting of the Security Council, and that momentum needs to be maintained," he said.

Fu called on the international community to continue to stand on the right side of history, safeguarding multilateralism and upholding the authority of the JCPOA and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231.

China hopes that all parties will resolve their differences in terms of agreement implementation through dialogue and consultation within the framework of the JCPOA Joint Commission, and restore the balance of rights and obligations under the deal, he said.

China welcomes the consensus reached between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency on allowing its inspectors access to two locations, and urged all relevant parties to help implement the agreement, Fu added.

As the JCPOA cannot resolve all regional security issues, while maintaining effectiveness and authority of the JCPOA, China supports the establishment of another dialogue platform besides the JCPOA for reaching a new consensus on maintaining regional peace and stability, he said.

The Russian delegate to the JCPOA, Mikhail Ulyanov, said on Twitter that the meeting "demonstrated that its participants are fully committed to the nuclear deal and are determined to do their best to preserve it".

Participants at the meeting also reiterated the importance of nuclear nonproliferation projects, in particular the Arak Modernization Project and the stable isotope project in Fordow, according to the EEAS.

"Taking into account the potential consequences of the US decision in May to end the Arak waiver, participants reiterated their strong support and collective responsibility for the continuation of the project."

Xinhua - Agencies