Iran-China JCPOA consultative meeting begins
The consultative meeting of Iran and China on Iran nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) started work with the participation of the deputy foreign ministers of both countries in Beijing, China.
During the meeting, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Chinese counterpart discussed the latest development with regard to JCPOA.
The Chinese diplomat expressed hope for both sides to have constructive talks.
He described Iran as a strategic partner, saying China is eager to develop cooperation with Iran in regional and international issues.
China is willing to promote relations with Iran over the JCPOA with the purpose of establishing peace and security in the region and the world as well.
Meanwhile, Araghchi referred to Iran and China as strategic partners.
He also expressed happiness over holding the consultative meeting on important regional and international issues.
Participants also discussed issues related to the JCPOA joint commission meeting slated to be held next week.
Earlier Araghchi, who is in China at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart to discuss Iran nuclear deal, told IRNA that the fact that the Europeans are still serious about INSTEX and regard it as a trade mechanism to keep financial ties with Iran, despite the US sanctions, is per se of value.
Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, and the Netherlands issued a joint statement announcing that they are joining INSTEX to enter trade with Iran and to safeguard the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) signed by Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany, from which the US unilaterally withdrew in March 2018 and re-imposed its sanctions on Iran. The INSTEX was designed in the first place to make up for the US unilateral pullout of the deal.
The statement said that the deal was endorsed by the UNSC and is also an important element in the non-proliferation regime of nuclear weaponry.
Saying that the INSTEX is in the final steps of operationalization, Araghchi said that the INSTEX, even during sanctions, can cover 20 percent of the economic relations of Iran.
He added that of course the economic ties between Iran and China don’t need the INSTEX, the two countries have already designed their own mechanism. However, the Europeans said that after the INSTEX got operationalized and well-established, they will introduce the barter system to non-European countries as well.
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