By staff and agencies

EU urges intl. community to stick to nuclear deal

May 9, 2018 - 17:31

Federica Mogherini, the European Union foreign policy chief, on Tuesday called on the international community to stick to the 2015 nuclear deal after U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out of the deal.

Here's a round-up of statements from around the world:

Federica Mogherini, the European Union foreign policy chief, on Tuesday called on the international community to stick to the 2015 nuclear deal after Trump pulled out of the multilateral agreement.

“The European Union is determined to preserve it. Together with the rest of the international community, we will preserve this nuclear deal,” Reuters quoted her as saying.

"The EU will remain committed to the continued full and effective implementation of the nuclear deal," Mogherini said from Brussels.

"We fully trust the work, competence and autonomy of the International Atomic Energy Agency that has published 10 reports certifying that Iran has fully complied with its commitments.

"The lifting of nuclear-related sanctions is an essential part of the agreement. The EU has repeatedly stressed that the lifting of nuclear-related sanctions has a positive impact not only on trade and economic relations with Iran, but also mainly, [it has] crucial benefits for the Iranian people."

China committed to protect nuclear deal

China, one of the countries that signed the JCPOA, joined Europe, saying the country is committed to protecting the deal as it stands.

China's special envoy to the Middle East, Gong Xiaosheng, said in a press conference in Iran the agreement promoted peace.

"Having a deal is better than no deal. Dialogue is better than confrontation." he said according to Xinhua news agency.

Russia will try to keep the deal functioning

Russia, one of the signatories of the deal, said it will try to keep the deal functioning despite decision by Trump.

Yevgeny Serebrennikov, first deputy head of the defense and security committee in the Russian Upper House of Parliament, also told RIA news agency that Trump's decision could put the nuclear talks between the U.S. and North Korea at risk.
 
UK, France and Germany to remain committed to JCPOA

British Prime Minister Theresa May, Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron also issued a joint statement on Tuesday saying they will remain committed to the JCPOA.

“It is with regret and concern that we, the leaders of France, Germany and the United Kingdom, take note of President Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States of America from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [JCPOA],” the statement said.

“Together, we emphasize our continuing commitment to the JCPOA. This agreement remains important for our shared security.

“We urge all sides to remain committed to its full implementation and to act in a spirit of responsibility.”

France's Foreign Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, said in a radio interview "the deal is not dead". He said Europe's foreign leaders will meet next week with representatives from Iran to talk about the future of the JCPOA.

Germany also reiterated it also wants to uphold the deal. Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said, "The deal makes the world safer". He added that Germany could find no legitimate reason for pulling out of the deal.

On Twitter, UK Foreign Minister Boris Johnson said he regretted the U.S. no longer taking part in the nuclear deal.

"UK remains strongly committed to the JCPOA, and will work with E3 partners and the other parties to the deal to maintain it," he added.

Australia and Japan regret U.S. decision

Both Australia and Japan have also said they regret the U.S. decision. Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called on all sides to use restraint in their response.

Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Kono issued a statement saying Japan hopes the pullout does not affect Iran's capabilities of adhering to the JCPOA.

"We hope that the countries involved will continue to deal with the issue in a constructive manner," he added.

UN chief calls on remaining JCPOA parties to abide fully to commitments

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres also issued a statement on Tuesday calling on the remaining parties to the nuclear deal to fully observe their commitments.

“I am deeply concerned by today’s announcement that the United States will be withdrawing from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and will begin reinstating U.S. sanctions,” TASS quoted Guterres as saying.

“I have consistently reiterated that the JCPOA represents a major achievement in nuclear non-proliferation and diplomacy and has contributed to regional and international peace and security.

“I call on other JCPOA participants to abide fully by their respective commitments under the JCPOA and on all other Member States to support this agreement,” he said.

“It is essential that all concerns regarding the implementation of the Plan be addressed through the mechanisms established in the JCPOA. Issues not directly related to the JCPOA should be addressed without prejudice to preserving the agreement and its accomplishments,” the UN chief stressed.

Turkey calls Trump’s decision on JCPOA an ‘unfortunate step’

Also, the Turkish Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday that the U.S. decision to unilaterally withdraw from the nuclear deal was an “unfortunate step.”

“Turkey has always defended the stance that issues regarding Iran’s nuclear program should be resolved through diplomacy and negotiations and has made intensive efforts in this direction,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a press release on its website.

According to Hurriyet Daily, the statement said that Iran’s compliance with the deal has been confirmed by periodic reports of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

“As such, we consider it an unfortunate step that the U.S. has decided to withdraw from the deal. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action must be protected and continue to be implemented in full transparency, uninterrupted and complete, under the control of the IAEA,” it added.

Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on his Twitter account that the multilateral agreement would remain in place thanks to the other countries’ participation, while Trump’s decision will cause instability and new conflicts.

Kerry: JCPOA exit ‘isolates us from our European allies’
 
The former U.S. secretary of state also issued a statement on Tuesday in support of the deal.

"Today's announcement weakens our security, breaks America's word, isolates us from our European allies, puts Israel at greater risk, empowers Iran's hardliners…, while damaging the ability of future Administrations to make international agreements," John Kerry wrote.  

Kerry, who was the U.S. chief mediator in crafting the nuclear agreement, added, "The extent of the damage will depend on what Europe can do to hold the nuclear agreement together, and it will depend on Iran's reaction. America should never have to outsource those stakes to any other country. This is not in America's interests. We should all hope the world can preserve the nuclear agreement."

Only Israel, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain have welcomed Trump’s decision on the nuclear deal.

(Source: agencies)