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Putin, Merkel highlight importance of preserving Iran deal

Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have held a telephone conversation

© AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi

MOSCOW, May 11. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed the importance of preserving the Iran nuclear deal against the backdrop of Washington’s unilateral withdrawal from it in a telephone conversation on Friday, the Kremlin press service reported.

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"[They] discussed the situation around the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in the wake of the United States’ unilateral withdrawal from it and pointed to the fundamental importance of preserving the JCPOA from the perspective of international and regional security," the press service said, adding that the phone call was initiated by the German side.

The two leaders also discussed Ukraine and Syria. "While exchanging views on the internal Ukrainian crisis, [the two leaders] discussed issues related to setting up the UN mission to guard OSCE observers agreeing to intensify the work in the Normandy format," the Russian presidential press service reported, adding that Merkel briefed Putin on the results of her meeting with French and Ukrainian Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Pyotr Poroshenko held in Aachen, Germany.

"The Syrian issue was brought up as well as preparations for Angela Merkel’s working visit to Sochi scheduled for May 18," the Kremlin press service said.

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