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Agreement on JCPOA is within reach — Russia’s deputy foreign minister

The JCPOA was signed with Iran in 2015 by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany with the aim to overcome the crisis over its nuclear research

MOSCOW, October 14. /TASS/. An agreement on a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) for the Iranian nuclear program is within reach, but many factors influence the situation, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told the media on Friday.

Ryabkov was asked to comment on a statement by US National Security Council’s strategic communications coordinator, John Kirby, who said that restoring the JCPOA in the near future did not seem possible.

"I am not ready to comment on assessments coming from Washington for the simple reason that we see, on the one hand, specific actions aimed at tightening sanctions against Iran, and on the other hand, some political signals the JCPOA retains certain chances for an early recovery," Ryabkov replied. "Our position is an agreement is within reach. Regrettably, the situation is influenced by many external factors, including volatile ones, and this does not make the task of achieving the final result easier."

"As before, we strictly follow the fundamental principle the achievement of this agreement is in the interests of all, and it could become a serious contribution to strengthening security in a region where there are too many problems of different sort," he added.

The JCPOA was signed with Iran in 2015 by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany with the aim to overcome the crisis over its nuclear research. The previous US president, Donald Trump, decided to withdraw from this agreement in 2018. The incumbent, Joe Biden, Biden has repeatedly signaled his willingness to bring Washington back into the nuclear deal with Tehran. Russia, Great Britain, Germany, China, the United States and France have been in talks with Iran in Vienna since April last year on restoring the JCPOA to its original shape.