Latin America’s ALBA Urges US to Stay Committed to Iran Deal

Ambassadors of Venezuela, Ecuador and Cuba in Tehran urged on Thursday that the Iran nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) should be maintained and by all parties involved in the international accord, Including Washington, IRNA reported.

The Iran nuclear deal is an international issue and it should be maintained, Ecuador’s Ambassador to Tehran Germán Alejandro Ortega Almeida said at a news conference held in the Venezuelan embassy in Tehran on the 13th anniversary of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas (ALBA).

 It took two years for the landmark July 2015 deal to be signed between G5and1 and Tehran and they agreed on every single world of the text of the agreement, Almeida added.

We know that the United States has failed to fulfill its JCPOA commitments, the envoy added.

The Venezuelan and Cuban envoys to the Iranian capital were also present at today’s press event.

Founded initially by Cuba and Venezuela in 2004, the 11-member Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas (ALBA) is associated with socialist and social democratic governments wishing to consolidate regional economic integration based on a vision of social welfare.

G5+1 give clear warning to US, says Araqchi

On the other hand, In Vienna, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that all parties to the nuclear agreement should remain fully committed to the deal.

‘Members of the Group 5+1 (the US, China, Russia, France and Britain plus Germany) should very frankly and clearly protest to the US and underline that the country should fully and precisely remain committed to the JCPOA,’ Araqchi said speaking to reporters at the end of a joint commission about the JCPOA in Vienna.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, he said in today’s meeting all members of the G5+1 underlined that both sides should remain committed to their pledges with regards to JCPOA and it is not possible that one side fully remain committed while some members in the other side mind to ignore it.

The EU’s deputy political director Helga Schmid, thanked the Islamic Republic of Iran for its commitment to JCPOA and urged all sides to remain committed to their pledges with good will and a constructive atmosphere.

US delegation despite their previous claims has underlined that they will remain committed to the JCPOA and the policy pursued by the US administration, Araqchi said.

‘Internal developments in the US have nothing to do with us,’ he said, adding that they can constantly exchange the JCPOA between congress and White House, but should remain committed to their pledges within treaty.

The Americans should understand that there is no room to renegotiate the JCPOA, Araqchi said and entering into other issues is totally irrelevant to the JCPOA.

Domestic developments in the US are not important for us, he said, adding that the important issue is that they should act upon their commitments and terminate all sanctions and never let them back.

Presently the US is totally isolated in its stances while the standpoints adopted by the Europe are very clear, Araqchi said.

The US disloyalties have harmed existing atmosphere but trend of cooperation with Europe is on good track while the same trend in other parts such as east of Asia and Japan is enforced, he said.

Talks on expansion of financial cooperation with Japan and South Korea along with a number of other countries in east of Asia and the Europe are Underway and politically both Europe and the rest of the world are now resisting against the US, Araqchi added.

The text of the JCPOA is very clear and no interpretation will be accepted to this end, he said.

There is a key issue in the JCPOA which indicates that the treaty can play significant role in maintaining regional and global peace and security, Araqchi went on to say.

The fact is that the JCOPA has not been fully implemented and this will happen after ten years long and when all sanctions will have been lifted within ten years to indicate that the JCPOA as a successful experience can play role in global peace, he said.

‘I believe that the JCPOA presently has resolved many issues in the troubled Middle East region,’ the senior diplomat added.

R.S