JCPOA Ministerial Meeting Held

Foreign ministers of parties to the 2015 nuclear deal held an online Joint Commission meeting on Monday to discuss the latest developments related to the agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. 
The virtual meeting was chaired by the European Union High Representative Josep Borrell and attended by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and the top diplomats of China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and Iran. 
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh had said ahead of the meeting that discussions would not only focus on JCPOA, but also other political developments over the past months. 
According to a joint statement issued after the videoconference, the ministers recalled that JCPOA, as endorsed by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231, remains “a key element of the global nuclear non-proliferation architecture and a significant achievement of multilateral diplomacy that contributes to regional and international security”.
The landmark agreement was signed after years of painstaking negotiations and curbed Iran’s nuclear activities in return for the lifting of international sanctions. But it has been unraveling since the United States pulled out unilaterally in 2018 and reimposed sweeping sanctions on Tehran, forcing it to eventually scale down its commitments as per the provisions of the deal when the European parties also failed to fulfill their obligations to counter the US economic bans.
During the meeting, the diplomats reiterated their deep regret over the US withdrawal from the agreement and stressed that UNSC Resolution 2231 remains fully in force. 
They also reemphasized their commitment to preserve the agreement and underlined their respective efforts in this regard, according to the statement, published on the website of the European External Action Service.  
JCPOA participants also discussed that “full and effective implementation of the JCPOA by all remains crucial” and stressed “the need to address ongoing implementation challenges, including on nuclear non-proliferation and sanctions lifting commitments”. 
The ministers later underscored the important role of the International Atomic Energy Agency as “the sole impartial and independent international organization” mandated by the United Nations Security Council to monitor and verify the implementation of the nuclear non-proliferation commitments under JCPOA. 
They stressed the importance of continued good faith cooperation with the IAEA.  
The ministers finally agreed to continue dialogue to ensure full JCPOA implementation by all sides and acknowledged the prospect of the US return to JCPOA and underlined their readiness to positively address this in a joint effort.
US President-elect Joe Biden has vowed to rejoin the deal that his predecessor quit, if Iran were to resume full compliance. 
Iran has also declared that it would reverse its steps beyond the JCPOA limits soon after the complete removal of sanctions. It has, however, called for the compensation of revenue loss caused by the reimposition of sanctions before accepting the US reclamation of membership in the deal.  
The Joint Commission had earlier convened at the level of deputy foreign ministers and political directors last week, where they scheduled the ministerial meeting.