First Meeting of JCPOA Implementation Commission Winds Up

Vienna –First meeting of special commission on implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Action wound up on Monday.

First meeting of JCPOA commission which has started at Vienna’s Coburg Hotel at 11:30 a.m. local time finished on 12:30.

Senior Iranian negotiators, Abbas Araqchi and Majid Takht-e Ravanch arrived in Vienna on Monday morning to attend the first meeting of JCPOA Commission.

Iran and P5+1 experts discussed technical aspects of JCPOA on Saturday in Vienna and the outcomes of Saturday session presented to the first meeting of the joint commission on Monday.

Experts of Iran and P5+1 will continue discussions on details for implementation of JCPOA this afternoon.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Sunday that Iran will enforce the Additional Protocol voluntarily and temporarily once the JCPOA goes into effect.

The Additional Protocol allows IAEA reinforced and intrusive inspections to Iranian nuclear sites and requires that information be provided on all activities regarding the nuclear fuel cycle.

Iran, a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), voluntarily implemented the Additional Protocol between 2003 and 2005, but ceased to apply it in reaction to referral of its nuclear file to the United Nations Security Council by the IAEA Board of Governors.

Both sides getting ready for fulfilling commitments, says Araqchi

Foreign Ministry Deputy for Legal and International Affairs Abbas Araqchi said both sides are preparing themselves for fulfilling their commitments regarding the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Talking to reporters here on Monday, he referred to the first meeting of the joint committee between Iran and the 5+1 which is to commence today with participation of the foreign ministry deputies and senior political officials from both sides.

Experts have already begun work on the details since two days ago, he added.

He said the goal is to announce the formation of the joint committee and then the beginning of its work.

He said the joint commission is also to make decisions about the documents pertaining to such issues as Arak in a bid to get ready for implementation of the nuclear document.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Ministers Abbas Araqchi, MajidTakht-e Ravanchi and Spokesman of the Atomic Energy Agency of Iran (AEOI) BehrouzKamalvandi arrived in Vienna on Monday to attend a joint commission meeting with the representatives of the Group 5+1 on JCPOA.

An informed source at the Iranian embassy in Vienna said the first meeting of the joint commission will start at Vienna’s Coburg Hotel at 11:00 a.m. local time and it will last three hours.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Sunday that Iran will enforce the Additional Protocol voluntarily and temporarily once the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) goes into effect.

US to begin issuing Iran sanctions waivers

On the other hand, US Secretary of State John Kerry issued a statement on Monday on elimination of sanctions against Iran.

The following are excerpts of Kerry’s statement reported from homepage of US Department of State:

I welcome the announcement today by the EU, the P5+1, and Iran that we have now reached Adoption Day of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). This is an important day for all of us and a critical first step in the process of ensuring that Iran’s nuclear program will be exclusively for peaceful purposes.

The IAEA has confirmed that on October 15 Iran completed its required Roadmap steps to address issues of past concern, and Iran has notified the IAEA of its intent to provisionally apply the Additional Protocol. As well, Iran will now begin taking all of the necessary steps outlined in the JCPOA to restrain its nuclear program and ensure that it is exclusively peaceful going forward. This will include significant changes to its Arak reactor, substantial reductions to its uranium enrichment capacity as well as its enriched uranium stockpiles, and increased access to and continuous monitoring of Iran’s declared nuclear facilities by the IAEA.

At the direction of the President, the Department of State and our colleagues throughout the US government will continue taking steps to ensure we are prepared to meet our JCPOA commitments. In order to prepare to implement our sanctions-related commitments, we are today taking contingent action with respect to the waivers of certain statutory nuclear-related sanctions.

These waivers will not take effect until Implementation Day, after Iran has completed all necessary nuclear steps, as verified by the IAEA.

Ambassador Tom Shannon and Ambassador Steve Mull will represent the US at the first meetings of the Joint Commission created by the JCPOA this week, which will focus on ensuring that all participants remain on track for Implementation Day. Ambassador Mull and the entire U.S. Government team will continue to coordinate the implementation of the JCPOA, and we will continue to stay in close touch with Congress going forward.

I want to express appreciation for the dedicated, professional work of the IAEA in verifying Iran’s commitments under the interim Joint Plan of Action. The United States commits once again to working with all of our international partners to ensure that the IAEA has the resources it needs to verify all of Iran’s JCPOA commitments going forward. The United States will continue to work with all of the members of the P5+1 and with the EU, including to maintain our shared commitment to keep the existing sanctions regime intact until Implementation Day, and then to take the appropriate steps to immediately lift the relevant nuclear-related sanctions when that day is reached.

As I said on July 14th, the JCPOA is a measurable step away from the prospect of nuclear proliferation and towards transparency. If fully implemented, it will bring unprecedented insight and accountability to Iran’s nuclear program forever. As we move from Adoption Day now towards Implementation Day, I and my entire team will remain vigilant and mindful of not just how far we have come, but how much further we have to go in seeing that this deal is fully implemented.

 

IRNA

R.S