Juncker: We want to keep Iran nuclear deal alive

BRUSSELS, May 16 (KUNA) -- European Commission (EC) President Jean-Claude Juncker and the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in Brussels exchanged views on Iran's nuclear deal among other issues, in Brussels Wednesday.
"We want to keep alive the agreement that various partners concluded with Iran. We don't want this agreement destroyed because it is of primary importance of maintaining peace in the region and also peace in the whole world," Juncker told a press conference after the meeting.
He said that they will be discussing the Iran nuclear deal over an informal dinner meeting of European Union (EU) leaders in Sofia, Bulgaria, this evening. On his part, the UN chief said: "We fully support the efforts the EU is making in order to rescue the JCPOA (Iran nuclear deal)." He added that he was briefed in today's meeting with measures the EU is preparing and wished that these measure are successful.
Juncker said the EU is very much attached to the multilateral system and supports the reforms that Guterres is proposing with regard to the change in the UN.
He proposed that the UN should appoint a special representative for security of journalists because this is a matter of great concern both in Europe and outside.
On his part, Guterres said there is an exemplary cooperation between the EU and the UN that wants to make it more intense and more fruitful.
"We have the cold war back with a difference. There are not today the mechanisms that existed in the past cold war of dialogue, contact to see that things will not spin out of control. We have a multiplication of conflicts everywhere more and more interlinked with each other and linked to a global threat of terrorism that we feel can strike anywhere in the world," warned the UN chief.
"In this dangerous world we must preserve two things. Multilateralism governance institutions and rule of law in international relations," he said. "The role of EU is very essential." (end) nk.msa