Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed the importance of maintaining the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran’s nuclear program.
Talking to reporters before talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on Saturday, he said that he would discuss this issue with the German leader.
"We will discuss the situation around the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action for the settlement of the Iranian nuclear program. Of course, this cannot be omitted. It is extremely important to maintain this multilateral agreement, approved by the UN Security Council, aimed at strengthening regional and global security and the nuclear non-proliferation regime," Putin said, TASS reported.
Addressing reporters at Meseberg Palace outside Berlin before their talks, Merkel also confirmed her readiness to discuss Iran nuclear deal with Putin.
"We, of course, will talk about Iran, we want to preserve the JCPOA, but we are following Iran's activities with concern, be it the missile program or the situation in Syria," she said.
In 2015, Iran and six major powers (five member states of the UN Security Council - Russia, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, China plus Germany) signed the JCPOA. It provides for the lifting of sanctions imposed on Iran in connection with its nuclear program. In exchange Tehran was obliged to place its nuclear program under international supervision.
US President Donald Trump in May decided to pull out of the deal and reinstate the sanctions on Iran. The unilateral move has been opposed by other signatories to the agreement who have pledged commitment to the deal.
***Serious Discussions
The Kremlin said Merkel and Putin held a “"very serious and detailed" three-hour discussion during their meeting outside of Berlin, including an exchange of views on Ukraine, Syria, Iran, and a crucial pipeline project.
The remarks to reporters early on August 19 by Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov were the first comments after the meeting of the two leaders. Few details were revealed.
Officials had said the leaders would not be holding a news conference following their talks, and no other official statements were immediately released.
Merkel warned on August 17 against expecting too much from her discussions with Putin.
The two leaders last met in Sochi in May and struggled to overcome differences.
