Iran, China call for verifiable removal of US sanctions

In a joint statement issued at the end of Raeisi’s three-day state visit to Beijing, the Iranian and Chinese presidents reaffirmed that the United States’ unilateral withdrawal from the nuclear agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), is the root cause of the current stalemate in the negotiations to revive the landmark accord.

The statement stressed the importance of removing sanctions and ensuring Iran’s economic interests as the fundamental part of the JCPOA, saying, “All relevant sanctions should be removed in a verifiable manner to facilitate the full and effective implementation of the JCPOA.”

Raeisi and Xi also voiced their strong objection to efforts by some countries to politicize the work of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in the implementation of the Safeguard Agreement.

The negotiations to salvage the JCPOA have been at a standstill since August 2022 due to Washington’s insistence on its hard-nosed position of not removing all the sanctions that were imposed on the Islamic Republic by the previous US administration.

Iran, whose strict adherence to the deal had been certified several times by the IAEA, maintains that it is necessary for the US to offer guarantees that it will not withdraw or violate the agreement again. The US has refused, complicating the prospects of the talks.

According to the statement, the Iranian and Chinese presidents thoroughly discussed cooperation in all areas as well as regional and international developments in a friendly and intimate atmosphere and reached broad agreements, including accelerating the implementation of a strategic 25-year partnership agreement between the two countries.

Iran and China signed the landmark comprehensive strategic partnership agreement in 2021 in defiance of unilateral sanctions against the two countries imposed by the United States.

The deal officially documents the Sino-Iranian Comprehensive Strategic Partnership that had been announced during a visit by the Chinese president to Tehran in 2016. It sets the outlines of cooperation in political, cultural, security, defense, regional, and international domains for the next 25 years.

Elsewhere in their statement, Raeisi and Xi reiterated their firm support for the establishment of a Middle East free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.

They highlighted the role of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference in forcing Israel to join the treaty and placing all its nuclear facilities under IAEA supervision.

The two sides emphasized the importance of disarmament and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons for improving international peace and reiterated their respect for the inalienable rights of all NPT member states to develop nuclear science and technology and obtain nuclear materials, technology and equipment for peaceful purposes.

The Iranian and Chinese presidents also expressed their strong support for issues related to the two countries' basic interests, protection of national sovereignty, territorial integrity and national dignity.

According to the statement, the Chinese side strongly opposes interference of foreign forces in the internal affairs of Iran and efforts to undermine the country’s stability and security and supports Tehran’s increasing role in regional and international issues.

The Iranian side also continues its commitment to the One China policy, it added.

The two sides emphasized that peace and stability in the Persian Gulf are important in international security and energy flow, it said, adding that the Chinese side hailed Iran’s important role in maintaining global energy security.

Furthermore, Raeisi and Xi condemned all forms of terrorism and terrorist attacks against civilians and expressed their opposition to double standard policies in the fight against terrorism and linking the scourge to any particular religion and ethnic group.

The two presidents agreed to boost cooperation in the battle against terrorism in order to promote regional and international peace and security and agreed to consult in the field of counter-terror efforts and discuss a joint political mechanism to fight terror-related issues.

They agreed to accelerate the implementation of the comprehensive cooperation plan and further development of cooperation in the fields of trade, agriculture, industry, renewable energy and infrastructure.

The two sides also agreed that the 18th meeting of the Iran-China Joint Trade and Economic Committee will be held in Tehran in 2023.

According to the statement, the Chinese president accepted an invitation from his Iranian counterpart to pay a visit to Tehran.

MNA/PressTV