UNITED NATIONS, December 15. /TASS/. Russia views as dangerous and irresponsible attempts to portray the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran’s nuclear program as outdated, Russian First Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Dmitry Polyansky told the UN Security Council.
"Allegations that the JCPOA might have become outdated and might need any updates, extensions, etc. are perilous and irresponsible. The deal features a carefully-calibrated balance of interests. It must be implemented in the form, in which it was adopted back in 2015, without extracting or adding anything," the Russian diplomat said.
"Nor can we agree that the JCPOA was allegedly losing its relevance due to the Vienna process not being ‘rapid enough.’ As of now, there is no alternative to the JCPOA," he added.
'Strategic restraint'
Russia calls upon its UN Security Council partners and other participants in the talks on restoring the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran’s nuclear program to show 'strategic restraint,' Polyansky said.
"The negotiation process in Vienna now stands in the spotlight of international attention. Our colleagues now have a very challenging task to bring the implementation of the JCPOA back in the initially agreed framework. We need to help them," the Russian diplomat said.
"And we can only do this if we demonstrate strategic restraint and avoid ‘heating up the atmosphere.’ This applies to all JCPOA members, as well as the Security Council and Iran’s neighbors in the region," he added.
Russia urges all countries to refrain from putting any pressure on the process of talks to restore the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran’s nuclear program, the Russian First Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN continued.
"What's most important is that normal diplomatic process is underway," the Russian diplomat said. "We should not try to rush this process or leverage its participants from the outside. I am convinced that if they assume a pragmatic and constructive approach, aimed at finding a balance of interests, acceptable-to-all-solutions will be found."
The seventh round of talks on the Iranian nuclear deal and the lifting of the US anti-Iranian sanctions kicked off on November 29 to be suspended on December 3 when European participants returned to their countries for extra consultations. Another round was held in Vienna last Thursday. Tehran presented a draft agreement on the restoration of the nuclear deal in the format of two documents, one on the lifting of the US sanctions and the other one on its nuclear program. The US delegation is not taking part in direct talks with Iran and the Joint Commission meetings but participates in separate consultations with other signatories to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Actions (JCPOA) on the Iranian nuclear program.