Secretary-General of the European External Action Service (EEAS) has confirmed the reports that the financial mechanism to work with Iran is operational.

Iran Press/Europe: "INSTEX now operational, first transactions being processed and more EU Members States to join. Good progress on Arak and Fordow projects," Helga Schmid wrote on her Twitter account.

It was the 12th meeting of the Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that kicked off at 12:00 hours local time in Vienna on Friday ended afternoon after three and a half hours of talks of the remaining signatories to the deal, IRNA reported.

Before the meeting, seven European countries—Austria, Belgium, Finland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden—in a joint statement expressed their support for the efforts for implementation of INSTEX (Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges).

The mechanism was pledged by the European signatories to the deal when the US unilaterally withdrew from it. The UK, France, and Germany vowed that they would cover the damage inflicted on Iran as a result of the withdrawal.

JCPOA joint commission meeting "rather satisfactory": Russian envoy

The meeting of the nuclear deal joint commission was 'rather satisfactory' with all parties fully committed to the deal, a Russian envoy said Friday.

"The meeting of #Joint -#Comission on #JCPOA held in Vienna today can be described as rather satisfactory. Not a breakthrough, but definitely not a failure. All participants are fully committed to JCPOA despite all the difficulties," Russian Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov wrote on his Twitter account.

A step forward

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi after Vienna meeting on Friday evening said: today meeting was a positive step forward but it is still far from Iran's ideals and interests.

He added that a positive step in establishing INSTEX have been taken and other countries have expressed their desire to participate in this financial mechanism as shareholders.

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Vienna Meeting a positive step forward: Araghchi

JCPOA deputy FMs joint commission meeting starts in Vienna