High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini presides this round of JCPOA joint commission meeting which is expected to discuss the 'EU' package of proposals' to Iran following the US unilateral withdrawal from the nuclear deal.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif who heads the Iranian delegation met with Mogherini and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday morning and other members of the EU/E3+2 (France, Germany, UK plus Russia and China) had also bilateral meetings.
In the absence of Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson who had to attend a cabinet meeting on Brexit, Minister of State for the Middle East at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Alistair Burt attended the JCPOA joint commission meeting.
Zarif left for Vienna late Thursday to take part in the meeting of foreign ministers of JCPOA members.
This is the second meeting after US unilateral exit from JCPOA which is slated to discuss EU’s economic proposal with the aim of ensuring Iran’s economic and commercial interests in the absence of US from the international pact.
Expert meeting of Iran and 4+1 Group was held late Thursday.
US President Donald Trump announced on May 8 that Washington was walking away from the nuclear agreement.
Trump also said he would reinstate US nuclear sanctions on Iran and impose “the highest level” of economic bans on the Islamic Republic.
Under the JCPOA, Iran undertook to put limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions imposed against Tehran.
