BRUSSELS, March 7. /TASS/. Iran and the group of five international mediators (Russia, China, the United Kingdom, Germany and France) have agreed to convene a joint commission on the implementation of a nuclear deal at the level of ministers, the commission’s co-chairs said on Wednesday.
"Participants stressed their determination to support practical solutions concerning sanctions lifting and agreed to keep progress under close review and to convene the Joint Commission, including at ministerial level, as appropriate in order to advance common efforts," reads a joint statement released in Brussels following a meeting in Vienna at the level of deputy foreign ministers and political directors.
The document says that Iran and the group of five mediators "will also continue to intensify efforts to preserve the JCPOA including as regards sanctions lifting through specialised and focused expert discussions including, as appropriate, sub-groups within the framework of the Sanctions Working Group."
The meeting of the Joint Commission to oversee the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) for Iran’s nuclear program was held in Vienna on Wednesday. Russian Permanent Representative to the Vienna-based international organizations Mikhail Ulyanov said after the talks that Iran and the five international mediators have agreed to set up task groups to implement decisions made at the ministerial meeting held in New York on the sidelines of the 2018 UN General Assembly.
Iran nuclear deal issue
The Iran nuclear deal came into the spotlight again following Washington’s unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA in May 2018. Iran and the five international mediators remain in the deal. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been pointing out that Iran continues to abide by its obligations under the document.
Following Washington’s pullout, Iran had to face serious economic issues in the banking field. Under the US pressure, Tehran was cut off from the SWIFT international banking system, which created problems in its trade relations with foreign partners. In response, Berlin, London and Paris launched a special purpose vehicle (SPV) dubbed the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX) in order to facilitate legal trade with Iran.