Baku, Azerbaijan, May 14
Trend:
Iran’s foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that Russia’s official position on nuclear deal is “very promising.”
He made the remarks in a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow May 14, Iran’s state-run IRINN TV reported.
After holding talks in China, the top Iranian diplomat departed to Moscow as part of efforts to save the nuclear deal reached between Tehran and the six world powers in 2015, which provides the Islamic Republic with relief from international sanctions in return for curbing its nuclear program.
Zarif launched a diplomatic tour last week to talk the nuclear deal with counterparts following the US withdrawal.
The trip is carried on in line with the President Hassan Rouhani’s directive for intensive talks on the possibility of preserving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA aka nuclear deal) while the Iranian nation’s interests are guaranteed.
In his meeting with Lavrov, Zarif said that opposing international regulations and agreements have turned into a habit for the US government.
He added that the global community needs to protect the international laws and regulations.
Iran has decided to give a chance for diplomacy on preserving the nuclear deal after the US withdrawal, Zarif said, adding that the JCPOA is based on a balance between the commitments of the sides including Iran, Europe and the United States.
“By the US withdrawal the balance will collapse and we must see how the interests of the Iranian people can be protected in this situation,” the Iranian diplomat said.
Zarif also referred to his negotiations with the Chinese side as “very positive.”
After Moscow, Zarif will travel to Brussels on May 15 to hold meetings with the foreign ministers of France, Germany, and Britain, as well as EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini to discuss the accord.
Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the last word in the country has said that "It is not logical to continue the implementation of the JCPOA without receiving enough guarantees from three European countries, the UK, France, and Germany."