He made the remarks Saturday when commenting about today’s meeting of the Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in Vienna.
"As for increasing the production of heavy water by Iran, it is not so rapid as to turn it into the most pressing, acute and urgent problem", Ryabkov said, Sputnik reported.
"Of course, INSTEX will be discussed, but there are a lot of other issues. All projects that are being implemented and experiencing difficulties, including those related to the US threats and the direct application of sanctions — Fordow, Arak and the rest — of course, will be the main topics", he added.
INSTEX is a mechanism established by European countries to continue trade with Iran without being affected by US sanctions against the country which were imposed after President Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal in May 2018. European Union said last month that the mechanism was operational and that first transactions were being processed.
Tehran says this mechanism, which initially covers trades on food and medicine, is not sufficient and even some politicians have described it as ‘humiliating’. Iranian officials believe that the channel must cover oil export and banking transactions as well.
MAH/Sputnik