Discussion of Iran’s nuclear deal shouldn’t influence talks on JCPOA, Russian envoy says
According to Mikhail Ulyanov, the next session of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency will start on Monday
MOSCOW, September 8. /TASS/. The discussion of Iran’s nuclear program at the upcoming session of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) should not have a negative impact on the prospects of the Vienna talks on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). This opinion was expressed by Russian Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov on his Twitter page on Wednesday.
"On Monday the next session of IAEA BoG will start. It is expected to focus on Iran as always," he wrote. At the same time, he added that it is necessary to set a prudent hierarchy of priorities. "Under no circumstances the discussion should adversely affect the prospects of the Vienna Talks on JCPOA," he emphasized.
On Wednesday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told TASS that Moscow was concerned over signals coming from Western capitals on the need to use political leverage on Tehran in order to restore the JCPOA, this is the wrong logic to employ. According to him, "instead of fueling tensions and boosting pressure, we should show restraint and find a way to resume talks." At the same time, the senior diplomat stressed that it is necessary to treat the internal processes of the governmental overhaul as a result of a transit of power in Iran with respect and wait until a new negotiating team is formed in order to resume the suspended work on restoring the JCPOA in Vienna.
The face-to-face talks between Iran and the international "group of five" (Russia, the UK, Germany, China and France) have been underway in Vienna since April in order to revive the Iranian nuclear deal in its initial form, through lifting Washington’s sanctions against Iran, implementing nuclear obligations by Tehran, and returning the US to the deal. The representatives of the JCPOA member states are also holding separate consultations with the US delegation without Iranian participation. All the delegations were initially planning to finish working at the end of May, and then - in early June.