BRUSSELS (Sputnik) – The European Union welcomes the “initial positive reactions” to its initiative on consultations on the Iran nuclear deal with the participation of the United States, EU foreign policy spokesperson Peter Stano told Sputnik.
“We welcome the initial positive reactions to this,” Stano said.
There is still no final agreement on such informal consultations, the work is underway, he noted.
Earlier, the US announced its interest in negotiations with Iran under the auspices of the EU and with the participation of the “six” international mediators, which include Moscow and Beijing. In response to Washington’s statement, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif again called on the United States to lift anti-Iranian sanctions.
UN Says Encouraged by Steps to Preserve Iran Nuclear Deal After US Proposes Talks
The United Nations also welcomes steps to preserve the Iran nuclear deal in light of the United States’ announcement of its readiness to return to diplomacy with Tehran and is reviewing the details of the US proposal, UN spokesman Farhan Haq told Sputnik.
On Thursday, US Department of State spokesperson Ned Price said the United States would accept an invitation to attend a meeting with other UN Security Council’s permanent members – Russia, France, the United Kingdom, China – plus Germany as well as Iran to discuss Tehran’s nuclear program.
Furthermore, US Acting Permanent Representative to the UN Richard Mills announced that Washington withdrew ex-president Donald Trump administration’s request to reimpose all UN sanctions against Iran.
In 2015, Iran signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with the P5+1 group and the European Union. The agreement required Iran to scale back its nuclear program and downgrade its uranium reserves in exchange for sanctions relief, including lifting the arms embargo five years after the deal’s adoption. The Trump administration exited the deal in 2018 and reinstated sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
In December, Iran passed a law to increase its uranium enrichment and stop UN inspections of its nuclear sites in response to the killing of nuclear physicist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. In early January, Iran’s atomic energy organization announced that the country had succeeded in enriching uranium to 20 percent at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
