BEIJING, March 14. /TASS/. China, Russia, and Iran have called for abandoning unilateral sanctions and other actions that could escalate the situation around Iran's nuclear program, according to a joint statement released after a meeting on the Iranian nuclear issue held in Beijing by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov, and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi.

"The parties emphasized the importance of implementing UN Security Council Resolution 2231 [in support of the Iran nuclear deal], including adherence to the outlined timeline, and called on the parties concerned to refrain from actions that could escalate the situation and instead create conditions conducive to diplomatic efforts," Ma Zhaoxu, who chaired the meeting, said at a news conference.