European Commission spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Peter Stano told reporters on Tuesday that the European Union is pushing forward negotiations with the new US administration in a bid to pave the ground for lifting anti-Iran sanctions.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell is very busy to pave the ground for returning to the nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Stano added.
As to the possibility of holding a joint session on the JCPOA at the ministerial level with the participation of US delegation, Stano noted that Borrell is talking to all sides, but a definite time has not yet been finalized.
According to the European spokesperson, the EU seeks to find a way for returning the US to the JCPOA, because the only way to revitalize the nuclear accord is through maximum diplomacy and joint efforts.
However, the new US administration has put forward preconditions for returning to the agreement, including full implementation of the JCPOA by the Islamic Republic. But Iran considers the United States as the country who violated its commitments under the deal and ignored the UN Security Council 2231 Resolution.
Iran's Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif stated that the US is expected to abide by its obligations and then Iran will immediately respond properly. He also called on the EU to pave the way for return of Washington and Tehran to the JCPOA.
Zarif told CNN that Borrell can resort to his position as European Union foreign policy chief and coordinator of the JCPOA in order to help in this regard.
Saeed Khatibzadeh, the spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry, said that Tehran is waiting for Washington's practical measure, which is the lifting of sanctions. The Americans withdrew from an accord and they could not return to it, if they only want to sign, they should initiate a practical arrangements.
The European Union has started easing the path of US return to the JCPOA, which is to some extent for restoration of their lost reputation, because they could do nothing to stand against the United States' unilateral sanctions on Iran.
Now that former US President Donald Trump is out of the White House and Joe Biden's administration says it wants to revitalize the JCPOA, the Europeans try to do their utmost to revitalize the international agreement.
European officials attempt to decrease the green continent's dependence to the United States in economic and political affairs. Borrell also sees the EU's exorbitant reliance on US dollar as a weak point of Europe.
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