rki.news | Source: Xinhua
NICOSIA, April 24 — The European Union has warned that any new agreement with Iran could end up weaker than the 2015 nuclear accord if ongoing U.S.-Iran discussions exclude nuclear experts.
“If the talks are only about the nuclear and there are no nuclear experts around the table, then we will end up with an agreement that is weaker than the JCPOA was,” said EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
Kallas made the remarks as European Union leaders gathered in Cyprus on Thursday and Friday to assess the economic and security impact of ongoing Middle East tensions.
The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), widely known as the Iran nuclear deal, was signed between Iran and the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China, Germany, and the European Union. Under the agreement, Iran agreed to limit its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. However, the United States withdrew from the deal during the first term of President Donald Trump.
Kallas further noted that EU leaders stressed freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is “non-negotiable” and called for strengthening the bloc’s regional military presence.