Iran Coordinates Positions Related To Nuclear Issues With Russia And China

JAKARTA - Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Tehran was coordinating its position on nuclear issues and the threat of new sanctions with Russia and China.

"We have a very constructive and good relationship with China and Russia; I can call it a strategic relationship. We have a strategic partnership agreement with Russia," he told reporters on the sidelines of the UN event in New York, United States.

"We always exchange views on these important issues, and we coordinate our position," said Deputy Foreign Minister Gharibabadi, commenting on Iran's nuclear issue and the Western threat to reimpose sanctions on Tehran.

"Chinese and Russian are against the abuse of this snapshotback mechanism, and they are against it," he stressed.

"Iran, China, and Russia, as three JCPOA participants, will coordinate their respective positions, and we will take a uniform position in that regard," added Deputy Foreign Minister Gharibabadi.

It is known that the Joint Comprehensive Action Plan (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal, was signed by Iran, five permanent members of the UN Security Council (Russia, UK, China, United States and France), Germany, and the European Union in 2015.

The deal regulates lifting sanctions against Iran in exchange for Tehran restricting its nuclear program. However, the United States under President Donald Trump at the time opted out of the deal in 2018 and continued sanctions against Iran.

This week, Iran will hold nuclear negotiations with Britain, France and Germany (E3) in Istanbul, Turkey on Friday. Negotiations will be held at the deputy minister of foreign affairs level and will focus on Iran's nuclear program. In tomorrow's negotiations, Iran will be represented by Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Ravanchi and Kazem Gharibabadi.