Deputy FM: EU opposed to renegotiations on Iran nuclear deal

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister and senior nuclear negotiator Seyyed Abbas Araqchi announced that the European Union is against any renegotiation of the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and the P5+1 group of countries.

"The European side reiterated and repeated its support and commitment to the nuclear deal. The European side stressed that it does not consider the nuclear deal as renegotiable and believes that it is separate from other issues," Araqchi said on Monday, elaborating on the results of his recent talks with Helga Schmid, the deputy of the EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini.

He added that the European parties underscored the necessity for the commitment of all parties to the nuclear deal.

"One of the areas which was exclusively discussed pertained to the two sides' cooperation on the banking, financial and investment areas, specially at a time when such a cooperation is faced with barriers that have been placed as the result of the measures taken by US President Donald Trump's administration. We discussed these obstacles and ways to confront them in details," Araqchi added.

After the announcement of 'Implementation Day' of the 2015 nuclear deal in January 2016, Iran and EU have been proceeding their high-level talks, two rounds of which have already been held in Iran's capital, Tehran and Belgium's Brussels. 

Energy, trade, banking cooperation, environment, counter terrorism measures and regional questions, including the Syrian, Iraqi and Yemeni crises have been among the issues on which the two sides have negotiated.

According to the JCPOA Annex III which focuses on Civil Nuclear Cooperation, Iran and E3/EU+3 decided to co-operate, among others, including through IAEA technical cooperation, where appropriate, and without prejudice to the existing bilateral agreements, in different areas of civil nuclear co-operation to be developed within the framework of this JCPOA, as detailed in this Annex. In this context, the Joint Commission will also support assistance to Iran, including through IAEA technical cooperation projects, as appropriate. 

EA