SHAFAQNA- IRNA: The first round of the 18th meeting of the Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action looks “successful” and “constructive,” indicating progress in the eyes of all parties involved in resolving disputes. There have been diplomatic endeavor by Iran and the P4+1 group (the UK, France, Russia and China plus Germany) to pave the ground for full implementation of the international accord. The Tuesday technical meeting to discuss the ways to lift nuclear-related sanctions has restored hope among members of the Joint Commission.
Optimism to Vienna meeting, Abbas Araghchi, Head of Iranian negotiating team, described the first round of talks on the JCPOA as “constructive,” saying that the negotiators will stay in Vienna, capital city of Austria, to hold another session on Friday. Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s Special Representative to international institutions based in Vienna, underlined that the Tuesday meeting was “successful,” writing on his Twitter account: “The Joint Commission meeting of #JCPOA was successful.
Two expert-level groups (on sanctions lifting and nuclear issues) were tasked to identify concrete measures to be taken by Washington and Tehran to restore full implementation of JCPOA. The groups started to work immediately. “Enrique Mora, the Representative of the European Union in today’s meeting of the Joint Commission of the UN Security Council in Vienna, evaluated the session as “constructive” as well.
US envoy present in Vienna
Robert Mali , the US Special Representative for Iran, is heading an American delegation in Vienna. The delegation stays in a hotel 10 minutes far from the venue of the JCPOA talks. However, as the Iranian diplomats announced, there have been no direct or indirect talks between Tehran and Washington. The Tuesday talks in Vienna is the first face-to-face meeting on the JCPOA since the Biden administration has taken over power in the United States and the American representatives are present in the city to hold talks with the P4+1 member states.
Despite the fact that the United States tried to raise non-nuclear issues, Iran refused to accept any negotiations on its missile program as well as its regional policy. Ruling out step-by-step plan before the Vienna meeting, the US and their European allies wanted to put forward issues such as step-by-step agreement to pave the way for small reciprocal steps in order to revitalize the JCPOA, but the Iranian diplomatic team has repeatedly said the lifting of sanctions by the United States is the first and foremost measure to revive the deal. The Iranian side has emphasized that Tehran is ready to return to its nuclear commitments after the US lifts sanctions and Iran can verify the measure.