MOSCOW, December 21. /TASS/. The US should not put forward preconditions for its return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on the Iranian nuclear program, the Russian Foreign Ministry informed on Monday on the outcomes of the informal JCPOA ministerial meeting attended by Russian top diplomat Sergey Lavrov.

"We believe that the US return to the JCPOA should be without any preconditions. Our partners and we are ready for meaningful work in this area, and we are ready to help the Americans to step on the path of correction. This is in our shared interest," the ministry said.

During the meeting, Lavrov stressed that Russia had taken note of Iran’s statements, which claim that Iran is ready to return to full adherence of the JCPOA as soon as the US does the same. "We hope that not only the current members of the JCPOA, but Washington as well, take note of this signal. Strict adherence to the UN Security Council Resolution 2231 by the American side is not a matter of choice, it is an obligation of any state stipulated in Article 25 of the UN Charter," the ministry stated.

No alternatives to JCPOA adherence

All members of the JCPOA on the Iranian nuclear program have expressed their commitment to the obligations undertaken and the need to maintain them, the ministry informed. "The Russian side stressed that the recipe for the normalization of the JCPOA is within the plan itself: it’s the path of steady adherence to the agreements by all states that developed and signed them," the message says.

A joint statement was approved on the outcomes of the ministerial session. JCPOA member states have agreed to carry on contacts. "The Russian side remains committed to further intensive work on steady adherence to the JCPOA in all its aspects based on the vetted balance of interests and the principle of reciprocity," the ministry concluded.

The future of the JCPOA was called into question after the unilateral pullout of the US on May 8, 2018 and Washington’s subsequent sanctions against Iran in the sphere of oil export. A year later, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced that Tehran would suspend part of its obligations under the deal. On January 5, 2020, Iran announced the final stage of limiting its obligations.