European External Action Service
“A meeting of the Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was held virtually on Friday, 2 April. Under the terms of the JCPOA, the Joint Commission is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the agreement. The Joint Commission was chaired, on behalf of EU High Representative Josep Borrell, by the EEAS Deputy Secretary General Enrique Mora and was attended by representatives of China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and Iran at the level of Deputy Foreign Ministers/Political Directors,” reads a statement by the EEAS.
“In line with the joint ministerial statement of 21 December participants recognised the prospect of a full return of the US to the JCPOA, and underlined their readiness to positively address this in a joint effort. Participants also emphasised their commitment to preserve the JCPOA and discussed modalities to ensure the return to its full and effective implementation.”
“Participants agreed to resume this session of the Joint Commission in Vienna next week, in order to clearly identify sanctions lifting and nuclear implementation measures, including through convening meetings of the relevant expert groups. In this context, the coordinator will also intensify separate contacts in Vienna with all JCPOA participants and the United States.”
German Foreign Minister
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said it was "good that all the relevant actors would meet in Vienna next week".
"We have no time to waste. A treaty that is fully respected once again would be a plus for security throughout the region," he said.
US State Department
US State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Friday that the United States has agreed to talks with European, Russian and Chinese partners to identify issues involved in returning to compliance with the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran.
"These remain early days and we don't anticipate an immediate breakthrough as there will be difficult discussions ahead. But we believe this is a healthy step forward," Price said in a statement, Reuters reported.
Price said the talks would be structured around working groups the European Union is going to form with the remaining participants in the nuclear agreement, including Iran.
"We do not anticipate presently that there will be direct talks between the United States and Iran through this process, though the United States remains open to them," Price said.
Russian Foreign Ministry
In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said “ways of practical implementation” of were discussed in the meeting.
The participants, maintains the statement, pointed to the need for the US to lift the sanctions imposed against Iran and for Iran to return to its JCPOA commitments.
“Substantive discussions on the entire set of these issues will be continued both at the level of the Joint Commission and in the working expert mechanisms created for this purpose.”
The Russian delegation highlighted in the meeting that “there is no alternative to the JCPOA”, calling on all parties to make every effort for the earliest possible return of the JCPOA and its originally established framework, adds the statement.
Meanwhile, quoting an informed source, Interfax reported that Russia is ready to mediate between Iran and US to arrive at a solution for a mutual return to commitments.
An informed source tells Iran's stance to PressTV
An informed source tells Press TV that the only way the United States could see Iran stop its counter-measures under the 2015 nuclear deal is for Washington to lift all the sanctions it imposed on the Islamic Republic in the aftermath of its withdrawal from the agreement some three years ago.
The source referred to the negotiations earlier on Friday within the framework of the joint commission of the parties the deal — officially named the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — and said Iran, during the session, emphasized the necessity of a “consistent removal” of all the US sanctions and its verification before Tehran’s return to full compliance.
The source added that Iran will accept nothing from the JCPOA Joint Commission but the removal of all the sanctions by the United States.
In today’s negotiations, the source added, the consensus in Iran on the issue was emphasized.
As soon as the sanctions are lifted and the measure is verified by Iran, the Islamic Republic will stop all the measures it has taken under Article 36 of the agreement in response to Washington’s withdrawal from the JCPOA, according to the source.
The session, which was held virtually, was chaired by the deputy of the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, Enrique Mora and attended by Iran, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United Kingdom.
The participants exchanged views on the prospect of a possible return of the United States to the JCPOA, which has been hanging in the balance since Washington’s exit and re-imposition of all the economic sanctions lifted by the accord in defiance of UN Security Council Resolution 2231.
MAH