United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres welcomed the restart of negotiations to salvage the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, as he voiced support for the full revival of the nuclear deal.
In a telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian on Monday, the UN chief expressed hope that the Vienna talks would bear fruit.
Guterres also described Iran’s demand for the verification of the removal of sanctions as reasonable, saying it is necessary for all sides to take confidence-building measures, the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s website reported.
He further voiced concern about the profound crisis in Afghanistan, particularly the humanitarian crisis there, and underlined the necessity of cash injection into the economy of the country.
Guterres said the UN is making efforts to set up an international monetary fund with the help of the World Bank and several countries with the aim of creating a mechanism for cash injection into the Afghan economy despite the sanctions.
For his part, Amirabdollahian underlined the need for the formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan and described the dangerous humanitarian situation on the eve of the cold season as worrying.
The top Iranian diplomat reiterated that despite the violation and inaction of the US and the European troika, Tehran has attended the Vienna talks with good faith and is trying to reach a good agreement.
He stressed that the other side must return to full compliance with its obligations under the JCPOA, noting that the the key point is that any deal must be effectively verifiable.
Regarding the six previous rounds of talks, Amirabdollahian said, “We will not ignore the negotiations, but as a new administration, we reserve the right to review the disputed issues and discuss them in light of our own considerations.”
Source: Iranian media
