No new deal on Iran nuclear program possible, no alternative to JCPOA: Top Russia negotiator
Russia’s lead negotiator at the Vienna talks on the revival of a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major world powers says it is not possible to reach a new agreement on the Iranian nuclear program.
In an interview with Russian newspaper Izvestia, Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s Permanent Ambassador to International Organizations in Vienna, said there is no alternative to the restoration of the nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in its original form.
He noted that the Vienna talks on the JCPOA revival would resume after the inauguration of the new administration in Iran, saying the exact date of the resumption of the negotiations is still unknown.
The senior Russian diplomat emphasized that the new Iranian administration is likely to adjust the country’s position on some issues within the deal.
“We do not know what changes in Iranian approaches may occur, taking into account the coming to power of a new president, the formation of a new government," Ulyanov said.
He added, "It cannot be ruled out that the views of the Iranian side on some of the issues discussed in Vienna will undergo adjustments. We do not know anything about this yet."
At the same time, the diplomat said the longer Iran will move away from negotiations and fulfillment of its commitments as per the JCPOA in its original form, the longer the country will be under sanctions from Western states.
In a tweet on Friday, Ulyanov said the Vienna negotiations aim to restore the JCPOA in its original form, nothing more and nothing less.
He urged all the parties to the JCPOA not to deviate from the main objective of the Vienna talks and to stop efforts to add something new to the deal.
MG
