Macron emphasizes all inked agreements ‘must be followed’ even Iran deal
French President Emmanuel Macron says all signed accords, including the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on the Iranian nuclear program, has to be adhered to
ST. PETERSBURG, May 25. /TASS/. All signed accords, including the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on the Iranian nuclear program, has to be adhered to, French President Emmanuel Macron stated on Friday.
"I want us to respect each other, so that there won't be any kind of interference," Macron insisted. "If we sign an agreement, we need to stick to it, no matter who chooses to leave. What is signed, must be followed."
"We must fight for sovereignty to remain an inalienable right," the French leader stressed. He stated that "he is committed to the sovereignty of France and the choice it made when signing a nuclear agreement with Iran." "It was our choice," the French president said during the plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
According to him, "today we need to develop a multilateral approach" to the solution of international issues. "It includes sovereignty. We cannot trust each other, if we do not respect ourselves, and I think that we need to fight for sovereignty to be respected in this sphere," Macron accentuated.
He also noted that "sovereignty serves as a necessary base for cyber space, data protection, and sovereign debates." "There needs to be strong sovereignty for all global rules to be implemented," he pointed out.
Iran deal
In 2015, Iran and six major powers (Russia, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, China and Germany) agreed on the final Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which particularly stipulated the removal of sanctions imposed on Tehran. In turn, Iran would limit its nuclear program and submit it for international supervision.
On May 8, Trump announced that Washington was pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal. He said that the previous sanctions against Iran would be restored and new ones would be introduced in case Tehran attempted to pursue its nuclear ambitions.
In the wake of Trump’s decision, the leaders of Great Britain, Germany and France called on other participants of the deal to continue their commitments to it. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that Tehran would not abandon the JCPOA and would continue to comply with its obligations, as long as the agreement takes into account Iran’s interests. The Russian Foreign Ministry expressed disappointment in Trump’s decision and called it a front for the US to settle its political scores with Iran.