Asked how EU nations felt about US efforts to reach an additional pact on Iran with UK, German and French negotiators, the diplomat told RIA Novosti, "This is not a European position."
The three EU powers have been in talks with the US administration on how to persuade President Donald Trump to extend sanction waivers for Iran past the May 12 deadline after he threatened to pull his country out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) if it is not fixed.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani reaffirmed at the meeting in Ankara that both countries shared the belief in the importance of preserving the nuclear deal with Iran, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told Sputnik.
“We always maintain good contacts with Russian friends, as well as with Europeans, on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, including at yesterday’s meeting of President Rouhani, Putin,” Zarif said, when asked whether Moscow and Tehran were discussing the deal in the light of the US plans to review it.
The minister confirmed that Iran and Russia shared the same stance regarding the need to maintain the agreement, when asked a relevant question. Zarif noted that Brussels also shared this opinion, but refused to answer clarifying questions.
Other parties to the JCPOA said that the deal had yielded results and was non-negotiable and called on the United States to comply with the agreement's provisions.
