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EU's political support for nuclear deal "not enough" -- Iranian FM

TEHRAN, May 20 (KUNA) -- In the current conditions, the European Union's (EU) political support for the nuclear agreement after the US withdrawal is "not enough," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarid said on Sunday.
The EU's commitment to implementing the nuclear deal is not in tune with possible decisions by the major European firms not to cooperate with Iran, Zarif was quoted by Iranian media as saying while receiving EU Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete.
He added that the US exit from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) has increased public opinion's expectations from the EU in the context of maintaining the JCPOA.
Zarif noted that the EU should have taken further practical steps to continue economic cooperation and increase volume of investments with Iran.
Meanwhile, Arias Canete said the EU's political will is based on carrying out the nuclear deal and continuing cooperation between the European firms and Iran.
The US withdrawal from the agreement created problems for Europe, he added.
However, the EU message is to continue cooperation with Iran in maintaining and protecting JCPOA, he stressed.
The Arias Canete also met with some senior Iranian officials within the framework of the first visit by a European official to the country after the US exit from the deal.
On May 8, US President Donald Trump announced in a televised speech the withdrawal from the deal and the resumption of economic sanctions on Iran. The P5+1 group, which includes the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (France, China, Russia, the UK and the US) and Germany, reached a nuclear agreement with Iran in mid-2015.
The deal ended a crisis between the two sides that lasted for about 12 years. (end) mw.hm