European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called for good faith efforts from all engaged parties to swiftly conclude negotiations on the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
Josep Borrell made the remarks on his Twitter account, ahead of the resumption of talks in the Austrian capital Vienna this week.
“We need good faith efforts from all sides and a spirit of compromise to swiftly conclude the negotiations and go back to full implementation of the JCPOA,” he said.
Borrell’s tweet came after an “important” phone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Saturday, in which the two discussed the course of negotiations.
The EU diplomat said the talks are at a critical juncture at the moment, adding that “it is expected that all sides come to Vienna with a specified agenda toward reaching an agreement and be prepared to make political decisions,” ISNA reported.
Amir-Abdollahian said the negotiations have seen positive developments, but do not meet Iran’s expectations yet.
“We are assertively and explicitly after a good agreement, but stand firm on safeguarding our national interests and red lines as well with the same assertiveness and explicitness,” he said.
He noted that the JCPOA has had no economic benefit for Iran in recent years, stressing that a good agreement can only be reached if it can ensure the country’s economic interests in a sustainable and reliable way.
“Iran is determined to reach a good agreement and will be in close and constant contact with the European Union as the coordinator of JCPOA along this line,” he said.
Tangible Guarantees
The JCPOA lifted sanctions on Tehran in return for curbs on its nuclear program, but the United States pulled out in 2018 and reimposed sweeping sanctions that prompted Iranian leaders to roll back on their commitments.
Negotiations in Vienna started in April 2021, aiming to work out how both sides can resume compliance.
The talks recessed in their eighth round last week so negotiators could consult and receive instructions from their capitals before returning to Vienna this week.
The process is at a stage where the sides have to make important political decisions, different parties to the negotiations have said over the past week.
Iran says it would reverse its nuclear sanctions once it verifies that US sanctions are completely removed. It also demands guarantees that Washington would not quit again.
The US State Department on Friday said it was waiving sanctions on Iran’s civilian nuclear program in a technical step necessary to return to the JCPOA.
Amir-Abdollahian said the step was “good but not enough,” adding that Iran demands guarantees in the political, legal and economic sectors.
“The lifting of some sanctions can, in the true sense of the word, translate into their good will … but it should be known that what happens on paper is good but not enough,” he said.
He added that the Iranian negotiating team is seriously pursuing obtaining “tangible guarantees” from the West to fulfil their commitments.
Russia’s lead negotiator in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, also called the US waiver decision “a move in the right direction.”
“It will help expedite restoration of #JCPOA and mutual return of #US and #Iran to compliance with 2015 deal. It also can be seen as an indication that the #ViennaTalks have entered the final stage,” he tweeted on Saturday.
The US State Department said the waivers were restored to facilitate discussions that would help to close a deal on a mutual return to full implementation of the JCPOA, but noted that the move was not pursuant to a commitment or “as part of a quid pro quo.”
State Department spokesman Ned Price also insisted this US step is a sanctions waiver for the civilian nuclear program and not broader sanctions relief.
