Russian Deputy Foreign
Minister Sergei Ryabkov has criticized the United States for seeking to
add unrelated matters to the Iran nuclear agreement, warning such
efforts could undermine the deal.
"We are very much concerned about attempts made by a number of
countries led by the United States to add unrelated matters to the
debate on the JCPOA (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action)," the
senior Russian diplomat told the TASS state news agency on Wednesday.
Ryabkov, who had led the Russian team in international negotiations
on Iran’s nuclear program, added that such bids were
politically-motivated.
Among such unrelated matters "are statements on the allegedly
negative role played by Iran in regional affairs, specifically, in some
Middle Eastern countries. We believe these accusations are
politically-motivated and aimed at throwing Iran off balance,” Ryabkov
said.
In a statement on its website on Wednesday, the Russian Foreign
Ministry said that Ryabkov had met in Tehran with Iran’s Deputy Foreign
Ministers Abbas Araqchi and Majid Takht-Ravanchi and the director
general for political and international security affairs at Iran's
Foreign Ministry, Gholam Hossein Dehqani.
The ministry added that the officials had discussed the
implementation of the JCPOA and agreed to continue to coordinate their
efforts to safeguard the deal and protect their national interests, amid
Washington’s continued attempts at undermining the agreement. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi (2nd, R) meets
with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov (2nd, L) in Tehran
on February 14, 2018. (Photo by IRNA)
The Russian and Iranian officials also discussed other issues of mutual concern, according to the statement. 'JCPOA can't be renegotiated'
Prior to his meeting with Ryabkov, Araqchi rejected any possibility for re-negotiating the nuclear deal.
“Our position on the JCPOA is crystal clear and so is the position of
Russia, China and the three European countries (Britain, France and
Germany)" that signed the agreement, he told reporters.
"There will be no re-negotiation of the JCPOA. No word will be taken from or added to it,” he added.
Araqchi said there would also be no possibility for amendments to the deal.
“The JCPOA is a transparent international agreement for all the
countries that are party to it, and it has been turned into an
international commitment by the [UN] Security Council,” he said.
“All are duty-bound to live up to their commitments or they should accept any repercussions of their decision,” Araqchi warned.
The JCPOA was reached between Iran and six world powers -- the US,
the UK, France, China, Russia and Germany -- in July, 2015. The deal
puts limitations on parts of Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for
removing all nuclear-related sanctions.
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