Reactions to Joint Commission Meeting on JCPOA in Vienna

The JCPOA Joint Commission meeting with the participation of the 4+1 countries and Iran concluded after two hours. Russia and China emphasized the continuation of negotiations. China’s ambassador warned the parties against taking any deterrent measures. Russia’s ambassador called the negotiations constructive.

The meeting of political representatives of the Islamic Republic with representatives of China, Russia, Britain, France, and Germany on April 15 (Ordibehesht 26) concluded after two hours.

More detailed information about the content of the discussions at this meeting was not made available to the media. Now the talks and negotiations are set to continue informally and also at the expert level among the relevant countries.

Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, announced after the conclusion of the JCPOA Joint Commission meeting through a Twitter post that the negotiations were positive and making progress.

Diplomats and the Issue of 60 Percent Uranium Enrichment

This comes as the issue of the attack on the Natanz nuclear facility and the announcement of 60 percent uranium enrichment by the Islamic Republic has cast a shadow over the JCPOA Joint Commission negotiations.

The French News Agency on Thursday, April 15, sent a report from Vienna, the venue of the Joint Commission meeting, citing Russia’s ambassador about the positive atmosphere of the discussions.

Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, wrote in his Twitter post after the meeting concluded that the session was overall positive.

He continued: “Thursday’s discussions are set to continue with a series of informal negotiations in various forms, including at the expert level.”

A European diplomat, in a conversation with a France Press reporter, spoke of general concern about the increase in uranium enrichment levels by Iran.

Peter Stano, spokesperson for foreign affairs of the European Union, had previously expressed serious concern about the increase in uranium enrichment levels by Iran.

Stano had told reporters that uranium enrichment at this level has no non-military justification. It should be noted that Hassan Rouhani today emphasized that the Islamic Republic is not still seeking to produce nuclear bombs.

Iran’s president said that once sanctions are lifted, Iran will return to the commitment to limit uranium enrichment.

On the other hand, Reuters reported, citing Wang Kan, China’s ambassador to the United Nations, about the necessity of continuing nuclear negotiations.

China’s ambassador called for continuing the negotiations and warned against any deterrent measures in this regard. He said the negotiations should continue until sanctions are lifted by the United States.

This comes as Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s foreign minister, criticized the Biden administration’s inaction regarding the lifting of sanctions through a Twitter post.

Abbas Araghchi, political deputy of Iran’s Foreign Ministry, who heads the Iranian delegation in the JCPOA Joint Commission talks, assessed today’s meeting as “challenging and serious” after its conclusion.

He also criticized the inaction of the three European countries (Germany, Britain, and France) in condemning the attack on the Natanz nuclear facility.

Source: DW