Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov: negotiations in Vienna on the restoration of the JCPOA will resume before the end of the year
Sergey Lavrov. Photo: press service of the Russian Foreign Ministry
Negotiations in Vienna to re-establish the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) will resume before the end of the year, with the US and Iran preparing steps to return to the nuclear deal. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said this in an interview with RT TV channel and assessed the chances of restoring the JCPOA as good.
The diplomat noted that the Russian side, together with Chinese and European partners, called for the synchronization of the preparation of a package of reciprocal actions by Tehran and Washington. “Right now, the negotiators in Vienna are doing this, they took a short break for Catholic Christmas, but these negotiations will resume by the end of the year,” the minister said.
Lavrov noted that Iran is ready for a full return and fulfillment of its obligations, including the application of an additional protocol to the comprehensive safeguards agreement with the IAEA, if the United States fulfills its obligations and stops threatening sanctions incompatible with the JCPOA.
“So I think we have a good chance. And here, of course, it is important to keep in mind that the principle on the basis of which the work is carried out, and everyone agrees with it: nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. So you need a correct, well-calibrated package. It is quite real, ”the Foreign Minister concluded.
Iran and the major nuclear powers are trying to renew the 2015 deal, according to which Tehran limited its nuclear program in exchange for exemption from US, EU and UN economic sanctions. The United States withdrew from the deal in 2018 during Donald Trump's presidential term, after Tehran was caught in gross violations of the agreement.
On October 27, a State Department spokesman said the US was willing to resume negotiations on a nuclear deal with Iran. According to him, the American side is ready to return to Vienna, reach agreements on the Joint Comprehensive Action Plan (JCPOA) and implement them.
On December 15, Iran announced that it will return to the JCPOA only if the United States completely lifts all sanctions against Tehran and does not withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on the Iranian nuclear program. The United States responded by saying that it was ready to lift sanctions from Iran, but only those that contradict the JCPOA.
