Borrell of the EU: The implementation of the JCPOA means that the US must implement the agreement in full

TEHERAN – European Union foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell says all parties, including the US, must fully implement the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“As the coordinator of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, it was always clear to me: We must return to full implementation of the agreement, which means a return of the US to the agreement with the lifting of the associated US sanctions and full compliance by Iran with its nuclear commitments” Borrell said in an interview with Arab News published on Saturday.

Borrell also said: “It is crucial to resume negotiations in Vienna as soon as possible and where we left off on June 20th.”

Iran and the remaining parties to the JCPOA started talks in Vienna in April to revive the deal from which Donald Trump withdrew and the toughest sanctions in history against Iran, in line with his “maximum pressure” campaign against the Islamic Republic has imposed.

The United States, under the government of Joe Biden, also indirectly participated in the Vienna talks.

There were six rounds of talks by June. However, the talks did not produce a breakthrough as the United States raised new issues unrelated to the original JCPOA. For example, the US tried to include the Iranian missile program and its regional policy in a possible revitalization of the multilateral agreement. In addition, the Biden government also tried to extend restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program, which will be automatically lifted in the coming years.

Under the JCPOA, Iran agreed to curtail its nuclear activities in exchange for ending economic and financial sanctions.

Borrell held talks with the new Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, in New York, the site of the United Nations’ annual General Assembly, in September.

“My message to Secretary of State Amir Abdollahian in New York City was simple: diplomacy is the solution; let’s return to Vienna immediately, ”said the top European diplomat.

Commenting on his view on the intention of the new Iranian government to improve relations with its Arab neighbors in the Persian Gulf and the West, he said: “Diplomacy is the only real way to address the outstanding issues in the Persian Gulf and between neighbors . I cannot speak for the intentions of other governments, but I have noticed more dialogue between countries in the region. “

For example, he said: “The Baghdad Conference (for cooperation and partnership) on August 28 and the bilateral talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran are such examples. These are positive developments and I was very pleased to be able to take part in the follow-up event of the conference in New York recently. “

Foreign Minister Abdollahian attended the Baghdad summit at the end of August. The new Iranian government has said it has a balanced foreign policy, but priority is given to neighbors and regional countries.

Iran and Saudi Arabia held at least three rounds of talks in Baghdad. The main point of contention between the two countries is the Saudi Arabia-led war against Yemen. Since it began in March 2015, Iran has been urging an end to the war against Yemen.

Borrell said the EU is trying to broker cooperation between the countries bordering the Persian Gulf. He said a revival of the nuclear deal with Iran was crucial to achieve such a goal.

“The EU stands ready to assist the countries in the Persian Gulf region to build a common sense of security and cooperation. In this sense, the (Iran) nuclear deal is also of crucial importance, ”noted Borrell.

He added: “I still believe that if we manage to maintain the JCPOA and ensure its full implementation, it can be a stepping stone to address other common concerns, including those related to regional security. “

Iran has proposed the Peace Endeavor (HOPE) hormone to stabilize the Persian Gulf region. Former Iranian President Hassan Rouhani proposed the Hormuz peace initiative during a speech to the UN General Assembly in September 2019.

“I would like to invite all countries that are directly affected by the developments in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz to the Coalition for Hope, which means Hormuz peace efforts,” said Rouhani to world leaders who had gathered in New York .

In April 2021, the former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted during a visit to Qatar: “The HOPE initiative is Iran’s approach in the region”. He stressed: “Neighbors are Iran’s priority.”

Regarding AUKUS, the recently concluded trilateral security pact between Australia, Great Britain and the USA, which was badly received by some in the EU, Borrell also said: “In Europe there was clear disappointment with the way in which this issue was dealt with. We are friends and allies. And friends and allies talk to each other. “

“If we can maintain the JCPOA and ensure that it is fully implemented, it can become a stepping stone to address other common concerns.”

The deal was initially signed between France and Australia. France described the cancellation of the deal without consulting Paris as a “stab in the back”.

“It’s a slap in the back. We had built a trusting relationship with Australia, and that trust was betrayed,” said French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in an interview with Franceinfo in mid-September. Le Drian added that he was “angry and very bitter about this split,” adding that he spoke to his Australian counterpart days ago and received no serious evidence of the move.

In the showdown with the USA and Australia, the EU is on the side of France.

With the United States supplying Australia with nuclear fuel for submarine construction, security and nuclear experts are warning of the possible proliferation of nuclear weapons.

“We have spoken to our US partners since AUKUS was announced. I had a good meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken in New York City last month. We now consider this issue to be resolved. Proof of this is the joint statement by (French) President Macron and US President Biden, in which the US recognizes that the situation would have benefited from open consultations between allies, ”said Borrell.

The European chief diplomat also said: “These recent events also clearly underscore the strength of European unity and remind us once again of the need to reflect on how to build, strengthen and advance European strategic autonomy.”

He suggested: “Europe needs to be more united on security and defense. If the European Union pooled its defense capabilities and avoided duplication, we would be much more efficient in many of the world’s crises. “

The chaotic and scandalous US military withdrawal from Afghanistan has created an image of the West as uncoordinated, divided and unreliable.

When asked whether the Afghanistan fiasco had demonstrated that Europe should focus on its defense capabilities rather than relying on the US, he said: “Afghanistan has shown in impressive fashion that there are shortcomings in the EU’s ability to act autonomously act, have their price. ”

Borrell also responded to important questions about West Asia and Central Asia, particularly Yemen and Afghanistan.

“I think we are all interested in the stability, security and well-being of our own citizens and our neighbors. This should be a common goal in all of our efforts and cooperation. “

He said the international community is working towards an end to the war against Yemen.

“We want an end to the fighting and suffering of the Yemeni people. I will deal thoroughly with Yemen during my (Riyadh) visit. “

Borrell, whose official title is High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, also said Afghanistan must not become an “exporter of instability, terrorism and migratory flows”.

“There is a broad international consensus that the country cannot become an exporter of instability, terrorism and migratory flows. And it is the countries in the region that are affected first by a negative spillover of the situation (in Afghanistan). For this reason, the EU tries to coordinate and coordinate its engagement and activities with partners in the affected regions. Big challenges can only be solved effectively and sustainably through joint efforts. “

Iran has taken in hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees since the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in late 1979. Iran bears the brunt of the floods of refugees from Afghanistan despite the Iraq war against Iran in the 1980s when Saddam Hussein ruled Iraq and the illegal and stifling sanctions imposed on the country by the United States.

As the main victim of instability and the war in Afghanistan, Iran insists on the formation of an inclusive government in the Central Asian country that includes all ethnic and religious groups.