9 Sep 2021 16:55

Russia, U.S. favor resumption of talks on reinstatement of JCPOA - Deputy FM Ryabkov

MOSCOW. Sept 9 (Interfax) - Russia and the United States agree that it is necessary to resume negotiations on the reinstatement of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.

"Importantly, we share with the Americans an understanding of the need to make further progress at the negotiations, which need to resume from the point where the sides stopped in June, when the negotiations were interrupted," Ryabkov told Interfax.

Speaking of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's remark on the approaching point of no return in the JCPOA's reinstatement, Ryabkov said that this was the first time that Moscow has heard such an opinion from U.S. colleagues.

"We view the JCPOA as a unique agreement that needs to be preserved, and we are doing everything we can to achieve that. We call on the Americans to demonstrate responsibility and common sense, at least because no one will benefit from the absence of the JCPOA. Security won't increase, the non-proliferation regime will be harmed, and tensions will unavoidably grow in the Middle East. The question is cui bono. Therefore, we shouldn't focus on schedules of what may happen if diplomatic efforts don't bear fruit, but instead concentrate on the soonest possible resumption of the negotiating process in Vienna," he said.

Ways to resume the negotiations were discussed during talks with U.S. Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley on September 8-9, Ryabkov said.