Austria urged US to rejoin JCPOA: Lawmaker
The talks in Vienna to revive the Iran nuclear deal are "very complex”, says a senior Austrian lawmaker.
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The head of the Austria-Iran parliamentary friendship group in the Austrian parliament Wolfgang Gerstl
A senior Austrian lawmaker stated that his country has always advocated for the preservation and full implementation of the JCPOA and has urged the US to return to the agreement.
The head of Austria-Iran parliamentary friendship group in the Austrian parliament Wolfgang Gerstl was quoted by IRNA as saying that the talks in Vienna to revive the Iran nuclear deal are "very complex", but there is no alternative.
The top Australian diplomat added that Austria and its EU partners have always called for preserving and fully implementing the agreement.
Iran and the P4+1, namely China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United Kingdom, have been holding talks in Vienna for nearly a year now to lift US sanctions against Iran and have Washington return to the 2015 deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or simply the JCPOA.
Furthermore, Gerstl emphasized that his country, Austria, has thus appealed to the US to return to the JCPOA.
The United States led by President Donald Trump then and a founding member of the JCPOA, withdrew from the agreement in 2018, leaving the remaining participants to grapple with its implementation.
The JCPOA is "an important pillar of the international non-proliferation architecture and contributes to international security," according to the Austrian lawmaker, who added that keeping the agreement means respecting international agreements and ensuring greater security and stability in the Middle East.
When asked about his assessment of the US unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA in 2018 and the continuation of the course after the new administration took office, he stated that the current US administration has expressed its determination to return to the nuclear agreement and lift the nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran by the previous administration on the condition that Iran also complies with its obligations.
The Austrian diplomat called the US decision to rejoin the JCPOA a "very good step forward," stressing that the coming days would be critical in reviving the deal's implementation.
He stated that the Vienna Talks were in a critical phase and that while some differences remained, Austria hoped for a quick conclusion.
Gerstl also praised the friendly relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Austria, revealing that an Iranian parliamentary delegation will visit Austria later this year.
