G7 meeting: Iran to release foreign and dual national prisoners
In their first in-person meeting, G7 foreign ministers condemned human rights abuses in Iran and welcomed progress in the Vienna talks. They said they supported the investigation into the downing of the Ukrainian flight and called on Iran to release dual nationals.
The meeting of foreign ministers of the seven industrialized countries of the world, which was held in person in London after more than two years, ended on Wednesday, May 5. The seven countries are the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, and Japan.
The foreign ministers of these countries called on the Islamic Republic to release foreign citizens and dual nationals who are "arbitrarily held in Iranian prisons."
JCPOA negotiations in the final statement
The G7 summit in its final statement noted the progress made in the Vienna talks to revive the JCPOA. The statement, published on the British Foreign Office website, said that the summit countries welcomed the JCPOA talks to bring the US and Iran back to the agreement, “because the JCPOA remains the best way to ensure the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program.”
They said they wanted to ensure that Iran would never develop a nuclear weapon. The statement also stressed that “it is vital that Iran preserves the atmosphere for these discussions by avoiding any further escalation.” The countries described Iran’s recent actions as deeply concerning and said they supported the International Atomic Energy Agency in monitoring Iran’s compliance with its NPT safeguards obligations, as well as its other commitments.
Iran's destabilizing actions, the investigation into Flight 752, and human rights violations
The G7 countries condemned Iran's support for proxy forces and armed non-state actors, including through financing, training, and the spread of missile and weapons technology, and called on Iran to cease all its ballistic missile activities that are contrary to Resolution 2231, refrain from destabilizing actions, and play a constructive role in strengthening regional stability and peace.
They also said they support efforts to ensure a thorough and credible investigation into the disaster of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, which was shot down by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, to hold Iran accountable.
The foreign ministers of the seven industrialized countries of the world have stressed that they are deeply concerned about human rights violations in Iran, including the repression of peaceful assemblies, freedom of association, freedom of religion and belief, and freedom of expression.
They discussed global geopolitical issues, the coronavirus pandemic and climate change, among other things. Senior G7 diplomats strongly criticized China for its “human rights violations” and the rights of the Uyghurs, and called for an end to the crackdown on protesters in Hong Kong.
These countries also emphasized that they would keep the door open for future cooperation with Beijing and announced that they would "seek opportunities to work with China to promote regional and global peace, security, and prosperity."
They also sharply criticized Russia, citing its “destabilizing” policy of sending troops to the Ukrainian border and its “destructive cyber activity.” The foreign ministers of the seven industrialized countries also strongly condemned the military coup in Myanmar.
Source: DW
