Officials from Iran and the five remaining parties to the 2015 nuclear deal are set to come together in Vienna on Wednesday to hold the first meeting of the Joint Commission since the establishment of Europe’s trade vehicle known as INSTEX (Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges).
The nuclear agreement, officially named the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, was signed between Iran and six major powers, but the United States unilaterally pulled out of the deal last year and restored its harsh measures on Tehran.
The remaining signatories, namely Russia, China, France, Britain, Germany and the European Union, have regularly held sessions of the Joint Commission that oversees JCPOA's implementation and addresses any problem or dispute.
The Wednesday meeting is scheduled to convene at the level of political directors and deputy foreign ministers of the countries in the commission, ISNA reported.
It is to be co-chaired by European External Action Service Secretary General Helga Schmid on behalf of EU High Representative Federica Mogherini and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.
Araqchi, who arrived in Vienna on Tuesday, was set to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts as well as with Schmid prior to the Wednesday event.
Preparatory Talks
Expert-level bilateral and multilateral negotiations between delegations of JCPOA parties had already begun since Monday to explore ways of countering the effects of illegitimate American sanctions and find solutions for the fulfillment of the parties’ commitments.
The Sanctions Working Group, which has been established under the Joint Commission, was also slated to convene in Vienna on Tuesday morning.
This round of the panel talks are the first to be held following the official registration of INSTEX by France, Britain and Germany (E3) in late January.
The instrument is part of Europe’s efforts to keep JCPOA alive by securing Iran’s economic benefits under the deal.
Its purpose is to facilitate business with Iran by circumventing US sanctions. INSTEX was established after over two months of delay and is yet to become operational.
Iranian officials have repeatedly voiced their disapproval of Europe’s lack of practical measures to shield Iran against the sanctions.
Araqchi expressed the country's disappointment once again in his recent meeting with the regional director general of the German Federal Foreign Office, Philipp Ackerman, who was in Tehran for political consultations on Monday.
He complained about the lengthy process of establishing the financial mechanism, saying the recent step was only a part of their obligations under JCPOA and that Europeans are expected to pursue the system’s activation more seriously.
“Political will alone is not sufficient to preserve JCPOA, and Europe needs to take practical steps and pay a price for this purpose,” he said.
