Zarif, Lavrov Discuss JCPOA in Vienna

Local Editor

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Friday and discussed the future of Iran’s nuclear deal, known also as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [JCPOA] reached between Iran and world powers in 2015.

During their meeting in Vienna's Palais Coburg Hotel, Zarif and Lavrov conferred the issues expected to be raised in the upcoming meeting of EU/E3+2 [UK, France, Germany plus Russia and China] in coming hours.

Prior to this meeting, Zarif met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi as well as High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini.

After the end of bilateral meetings between the foreign ministers of E3+2, it is expected that the meeting of the JCPOA Joint Commission be started in the coming hours.

Zarif left for Vienna late Thursday to take part in the meeting of foreign ministers of JCPOA members.

The meeting is to be held on Friday under presidency of Mogherini.

This is the second meeting after US unilateral exit from JCPOA which is slated to discuss EU’s economic proposal with the aim of ensuring Iran’s economic and commercial interests in the absence of US from the international pact.

Earlier in May, US President Donald Trump announced 8 that Washington was walking away from the nuclear agreement.

Trump also said he would reinstate US nuclear sanctions on Iran and impose “the highest level” of economic bans on the Islamic Republic.

Under the JCPOA, Iran undertook to put limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions imposed against Tehran.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team