Iran-Russia-China meeting clear path to counter US unilateralism: Iran envoy

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi has described Iran-Russia-China meeting in Beijing as an important step in resolving nuclear issue, calling US’s withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal “the root cause of all problems”.

Gharibabadi said on Friday that putting an end to “illegal and unilateral” sanctions against Iran was among key issues of the talks during the tripartite meeting and its joint statement.

“The joint statement emphasizes the settlement of Iran's nuclear issue through political and diplomatic dialogue and stresses [the need] to end all forms of sanctions, pressure, and threats,” he added.

On Friday, diplomats from Iran, Russia and China met in Beijing for talks on Tehran’s nuclear program.

In a joint statement issued at the end of the Beijing meeting, China and Russia welcomed Iran’s reiteration that its nuclear program is exclusively for peaceful purposes and also welcomed Iran’s commitment to full compliance with its obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and Comprehensive Safeguard Agreement.

Beijing and Moscow stressed the need to fully respect Tehran’s right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy as a state party to the NPT.

In 2015, Iran signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with six world powers. However, the US’s unilateral withdrawal in 2018 and its subsequent re-imposition of sanctions against Tehran left the future of the deal in limbo.

Gharibabadi said Tehran, Beijing and Moscow believe that the US unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA and lack of fulfillment of the European troika – France, Germany and Britain – to their obligations are the root causes of the ongoing problems pertaining to the Iranian nuclear issue.

He added that the three parties stressed the importance of the UN Security Council Resolution 2231, including its timeframes, and voiced their objection to any move that hinders the normalization of economic and trade contacts and cooperation with Iran.

The joint statement called for relevant parties to refrain from any action that may escalate the situation, he noted.

The Iranian diplomat said the three sides agreed to continue consultations and emphasized that in case of the involvement of other countries in any possible talks, “these negotiations will solely focus on the nuclear issue, and non-nuclear topics will not be part of these discussions.”

China, Russia urge end to ‘unlawful sanctions’ on Iran

Chinese and Russian diplomats have called for the lifting of “unlawful sanctions” imposed against Iran, reiterating Tehran’s right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

Iran’s ambassador to Beijing also said the initiative of holding the Iran-Russia-China meeting will provide a “clear path” to countering the US lose-lose unilateralism.

“The trilateral meeting in China achieved very important and valuable agreements regarding significant international issues, including the necessity for the three countries to cooperate in countering the unilateral and bullying sanctions of the United States,” Mohsen Bakhtiar said.

He said the meeting was “successfully” held in Beijing based on strategic cooperation among the three countries.

He added that Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi held “very positive and constructive” consultations and discussions with other parties.

In a joint statement issued at the end of the Beijing meeting, China and Russia welcomed Iran’s reiteration that its nuclear program is exclusively for peaceful purposes and also welcomed Iran’s commitment to full compliance with its obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and Comprehensive Safeguard Agreement.

Beijing and Moscow stressed the need to fully respect Tehran’s right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy as a state party to the NPT.

Iran has long been subjected to Western sanctions over its nuclear activities and other pretexts, the latest of which was imposed on Thursday.

The new US administration at the White House has escalated these measures since taking office in January, reinstating the so-called "maximum pressure" policy, a campaign of hybrid warfare targeting the Islamic Republic.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi recently confirmed that Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic advisor to the UAE president, delivered a letter from Trump to the Iranian establishment.

In 2015, Iran signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with six world powers. However, the US’s unilateral withdrawal in 2018 and its subsequent re-imposition of sanctions against Tehran left the future of the deal in limbo.

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