European Foreign Affairs Ministers at Council on Monday asked the US to honor their commitments within the framework of the agreement on the Iranian nuclear program. Head of EU Diplomacy, Federica Mogherini, will travel to Washington early November to attempt to convince the American President Donald Trump not to call into question the agreement.
On Friday, the White House resident requested his Congress to toughen the International Plan aiming to prevent Iran from developing the atomic bomb — without going as far as “tearing it up” — as he had promised during the elections campaign.
Mr. Trump announced that the USA would not pull out, but he did underline that he would not “certify” the fact that Teheran would comply with its commitments, in spite of the assurances given by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Threatening to cancel “at any time” the participation of the US, he urged not only American parliamentarians, but also the other signatory states — China, France, Germany, Russia, the UK — to show more firmness with Teheran.
At the meeting in Luxembourg, the European Foreign Affairs Ministers recalled that the Plan passed with Teheran in 2015 represented “a key element in the strategy of nuclear non-proliferation, while being crucial for the security of the region.”
“The EU encourages the US to maintain its endorsement of the JCPOA” (Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Action), they underlined. The Ministers request, furthermore, that Washington consider the implications of the agreement for the security of the US and its partners in the region, before taking further steps.
Questioning the JCPOA would “complicate” a dialogue with North Korea, which recently conducted a nuclear testing, Mrs. Mogherini pointed out.
“Should we wish to open one day discussions with Pyongyang, we must prove that when a deal is concluded on nuclear matters, it must be respected,” Belgian Minister Didier Reynders also declared.
The Brussels Times
