We, the High Representative of the European Union and
the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and the United
Kingdom, take note with regret and concern of the
decision by the United States not to extend waivers
with regards to trade in oil with Iran. We also note
with concern the decision by the United States not to
fully renew waivers for nuclear non-proliferation
projects in the framework of the JCPoA.
The lifting of nuclear-related sanctions is an
essential part of the JCPoA – it aims at having a
positive impact not only on trade and economic
relations with Iran, but most importantly on the lives
of the Iranian people. We deeply regret the
re-imposition of sanctions by the United States
following their withdrawal from the JCPoA.
We remain deeply convinced that the JCPoA is key to
increasing stability and security in the Middle East
region.
Together, we emphasise our continued commitment to the
JCPoA, a crucial element of the global nuclear
non-proliferation regime and essential for our national
and shared European security.
The JCPoA is working and delivering on its goal, as
confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency in
14 reports.
We note Iran’s continued compliance with the JCPoA, as
repeatedly confirmed by the IAEA. We call upon Iran to
continue implementing in full its commitments under the
JCPoA as well as its obligations under the Treaty on
the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
The remaining participants to the JCPoA are committed
to working on the preservation and maintenance of
financial channels and exports for Iran, together with
third countries interested in supporting the JCPoA. We
are determined to pursue efforts, together with other
European partners, to enable the continuation of
legitimate trade with Iran, including through the
operationalization of the special purpose vehicle
“INSTEX”. In this regard, the shareholders are
committed to significantly increasing their financial
contributions to INSTEX’s operational budget. We
encourage all countries, including Russia and China as
JCPOA participants, to make their best efforts to
pursue the legitimate trade that the agreement allows
for, through concrete steps.
We recall the European Council conclusions adopted on
February 4th, 2019 and EU’s support for the development
of EU-Iran relations in areas of common interest.
Complementary to preserving the JCPoA, we support a
comprehensive approach with Iran with a view to
addressing all issues of concern including its
contribution to regional instability and its missile
activities.
