Ministerial meeting on Iran nuclear issue may be held on sidelines of UNGA - Russian envoy

MOSCOW, July 19. /TASS/. A ministerial meeting on the Iran nuclear issue may take place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in late September, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the Vienna-based international organizations Mikhail Ulyanov told reporters on Thursday. "Will the ministers gather again? I believe it is highly likely. I think it may happen on the sidelines of the ministerial segment of the General Assembly in late September," he said. On July 6, Vienna hosted a ministerial meeting of Iran and five global powers (Russia, China, Great Britain, Germany and France). The five powers reaffirmed their commitment to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) for Iran’s nuclear program and agreed to boost economic ties with Iran, continue to import oil and natural gas from the country, as well as to maintain effective financial channels with Tehran. Iran nuclear deal issue In 2015, Iran and six major powers (five member states of the United Nations Security Council - Russia, the United States, France, the United Kingdom and China - and Germany) agreed on the JCPOA, which particularly stipulated the removal of sanctions imposed on Tehran over its nuclear program. On May 8, 2018, US President Donald Trump announced Washington’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal. He said that old sanctions on Iran would be restored and new ones would be introduced in case Tehran attempted to pursue its nuclear ambitions In the wake of Trump’s decision, the leaders of Great Britain, Germany and France called on other participants in the deal to continue fulfilling it. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that Tehran would not abandon the JCPOA and would continue to comply with its obligations. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow would seek to maintain the agreement despite US plans to resume sanctions against Iran. Read more