Germany’s Merkel defends stance...
“This is a tactical question.” After Markel’s speech Pence again pressed European countries to withdraw from the nuclear deal.
“The time has come for our European partners to stand with us,” Pence told the conference. “The time has come for our European partners to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal.”
The US withdrew unilaterally last year from the deal and reinstated tough sanctions, leaving the remaining signatories scrambling to try and keep it alive.
Federica Mogherini, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, also defended the deal, saying that the bloc would do whatever possible to keep it alive.
Mogherini told the same conference on Friday that the bloc was determined to preserve the “full implementation” of the deal, saying it was vital to European security and an effective guarantor of peace.
“I believe if it was not for the European Union and its member states, starting with France, Germany and the UK, I am sure that the nuclear deal with Iran would have been dead long ago,” she said.
“We believe it is fundamental and crucial to our security, and a fundamental pillar for the nuclear non-proliferation architecture globally,” she added.
In Paris, France’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement in response to Pence’s call, saying that the country was standing by its commitment to the implementation of the Iran deal.
On the sidelines of the conference on Friday, Mogherini discussed the state of implementation of the Iran nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA, with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
During the meeting, Mogherini reiterated the EU’S firm determination to preserve the JCPOA, which continues to deliver on its objectives and is crucial for both regional and global security, according to the EU External Action Service’s website.
She also underlined the need for continued, full and effective implementation of the deal by all parties, and in this regard both Mogherini and Zarif discussed the recent registration of INSTEX in France and committed to work together for its further operationalization.
Europe on Jan. 31 officially announced the creation of its Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) – officially called the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchange (INSTEX) – which was launched in a bid to protect trade ties with Tehran against American sanctions. The mechanism was registered by France, Germany and the UK in Paris, and will, in its initial stage, facilitate the trading of humanitarian goods such as food, medicine and medical devices.
AP, Reuters and Press TV contributed to this story.