Five world powers agreed with Iran on Friday to forge ahead with negotiations with the country and maintain its ability to export gas and oil as they seek to preserve a nuclear deal with Tehran despite the withdrawal of the United States.
European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini told reporters that top diplomats from Germany, Britain, France, Russia and China reaffirmed their commitment to the 2015 deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, “which is in the security interest of all,” AP reported.
“The participants recognized that, in return for the implementation by Iran of its nuclear-related commitments, the lifting of sanctions, including the economic dividends arising from it, constitutes an essential part of the JCPOA,” Mogherini told reporters after the meeting without taking questions.
Ahead of the talks, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said preserving the deal was critical, and that the treaty states would send a “united, determined and strong signal” that they were committed to it despite US President Donald Trump’s decision.
“If this treaty can’t be upheld then this doesn’t just hurt the interests of Iran, it also damages the peace in the Middle East and the credibility of the international world order,” Wang said.
Mogherini noted that companies pursuing business in Iran “have been acting in good faith based on the commitments contained in the JCPOA and endorsed at the highest level by the UN Security Council” and said the treaty states were committed to providing “clear and effective support for economic operators trading with Iran.”
She did not get into greater detail, but before the meeting German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas conceded that the treaty nations would not be able to compensate Iran entirely for the loss of business from companies withdrawing. But Maas said they would advise firms that want to continue investing and emphasize to Iran that leaving the deal “would have much greater disadvantages.”
“We want to make it clear to Iran today that it still has economic benefits from this agreement,” Maas told reporters. “Above all we will try to create the conditions for that.”
Other objectives Mogherini outlined included maintaining wider economic relations with Iran, financial channels, Iran’s export of oil and gas, and the continuation of sea, land, air and rail transportation links.
Practical Solutions
Ahead of the talks, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said European powers should offer “practical solutions” to counteract renewed US sanctions and save the Iran nuclear accord.
He said Europe’s package should help safeguard not only Iran’s economic interests but also its rights in nuclear and political areas under the deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
His remarks echoed earlier ones made in a tweet, in which he said, “My mandate is crystal clear: Forge practical solutions.”
He said France, Germany and Britain need to put forward “practical solutions” and make “verifiable and actionable commitments” rather than “lofty and obscure promises”.
Sanctions and compliance with the nuclear pact are “mutually exclusive”, the chief diplomat wrote.
Russian, Chinese Support
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday that Moscow and Beijing are interested in saving the nuclear deal, TASS news agency reported.
“Just like our Chinese counterpart, we are interested in preserving and fully implementing the JCPOA. The situation is complex but just like China and other parties to the deal, we are committed to international law,” he said at a meeting with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Vienna.
Some Progress
A senior European diplomat was quoted by Reuters on Friday as saying that some progress has been made so far in the process to keep the landmark agreement alive.
“The objective is to save the deal. We’ve made some progress, including on safeguarding some crude sales, but it’s unlikely to meet Iranian expectations. It’s also not just about what the Europeans can do, but also how the Chinese, Russians, Indians, others can contribute,” said the unnamed official.
Iranian officials have said key for them is to ensure measures that guarantee oil exports do not halt, and that Tehran still has access to the SWIFT international bank payments messaging system.
