LOC13:35
10:35 GMT
BRUSSELS, July 30 (KUNA) -- European Union High Representative Josep Borrell Saturday warned that if the Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), is rejected, "we risk a dangerous nuclear crisis".
In an article published on his blog and published by the European Union External Action Service (EEAS) today, Borrell argued that the rejection will lead to "increased isolation for Iran and its people". The EEAS is the EU's diplomatic service.
"It is our joint responsibility to conclude the deal," stressed the EU foreign policy chief.
"Concluding an agreement now will deliver significant economic and financial dividends as well as strengthen regional and global security. Rejecting it assures a loss on both accounts, who knows for how long," he wrote.
"It is now time for swift political decisions to conclude the Vienna negotiations on the basis of my proposed text and to immediately return to a fully implemented JCPOA," he said.
Borrell emphasized that after 15 months of intense, constructive negotiations and countless interactions with the JCPOA participants and the US, "the space for additional significant compromises to reach an agreement has been exhausted".
Seven years ago, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, Germany, Iran and the EUآ’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy concluded a landmark diplomatic deal.
JCPOA was the result of more than a decade of intense diplomacy on Iranآ’s nuclear programme and won the UN Security Councilآ’s unanimous endorsement, he noted.
"The full implementation of this deal has been severely affected by Donald Trumpآ’s decision in 2018 to withdraw the US from it and to pursue a unilateral 'maximum pressure' campaign. The EU and all the remaining JCPOA participants have been very clear how much we disagree with the US withdrawal and the re-imposition of sanctions," said Borell.
"For its part, Iran has ratcheted up its nuclear activity to alarming levels. Regrettably, it has also limited IAEA monitoring, while failing to co-operate fully with the agency under its basic safeguardsآ’ obligations," he said.
"To reverse this dangerous escalation, in my capacity as JCPOA co-ordinator and based on the mandate of the UN Security Council Resolution 2231, I seized the political momentum of a new US administration to launch in April 2021 a diplomatic process involving the JCPOA participants and the US. The aim was to facilitate a US return to the deal and full US and Iranian implementation of their JCPOA commitments," he said.
The talks began in Vienna, Austria, in April 2021 with the participation of the remaining parties, France, Germany, the UK, Russia, and China, as well as the European Union which is acting as the coordinator.
The negotiations in Vienna were paused last March due to outstanding differences. (end)
nk.mt