MOSCOW, July 2. /TASS/. Russia is calling on Tehran to show restraint amid the situation with the nuclear deal and observe key provisions of a deal on guarantees with the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday.
"We are calling on our Iranian colleagues to show restraint and in no way to be subjected to emotions, and observe key provisions of the deal on guarantees with the IAEA and provisions of a supplementary protocol for this agreement," Lavrov said, answering a question concerning Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile that has exceeded the 300-kilogram limit.
Russia also demands that its European colleagues meet their commitments in order to make the newly-created INSTEX payment tool truly effective and ensuring the rights of Iran under the UN Security Council’s resolution in the field of trade and economic ties, Lavrov noted. "Without this it will be very difficult to hold a reasonable and fruitful dialogue on preserving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action."
Lavrov emphasized that Russia would make very effort to "keep this crucial agreement, which is of special importance not only for settling this particular situation around Iran but also for strengthening the regime of non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction."
According to Lavrov, there are different views on the situation with the treaty. "Some issues emerge, but in order to understand the reasons, there is the need to see the entire picture," he noted. "Just taking out of context the actions of any party to the JCPOA won’t help draw the right conclusions."
Lavrov noted that on July 1, EU colleagues suggested that permanent missions to international organizations in Vienna should urgently pass a statement calling on Iran not to violate its commitments, but this draft said nothing about the real reasons behind these Tehran’s steps.
"The JCPOA is an all-encompassing package of mutual commitments and rights of all parties to the deal," Lavrov stressed. "European colleagues should fully recognize their responsibility for preserving the treaty, they have a crucial commitment to ensure Iran’s economic interests, including a possibility to sell oil and get revenues for that," he explained.
Russia’s top diplomat recalled that "the US banned practically everyone from purchasing oil from Iran, and the Europeans volunteered to create a mechanism, which would allow Tehran to sell oil without any obstacles and receive money for that." The Europeans had been creating such a mechanism for nearly a year and announced its establishment a few months ago, but solely for humanitarian supplies, which were not sanctioned by the US, and only for the EU members, and absolutely not for oil trade. "But even considering these reservations, the mechanism has not so far processed a single transaction," Lavrov said.
"If we speak about the need to preserve the joint plan, this implies commitments of all parties to the deal," Lavrov stressed. "This does not mean that we should demand that only Iran fulfill its commitments, while others take their commitments too lightly. We even suspect that they prefer to avoid US criticism and focus on Iran’s steps," he noted.