On January 16, the IAEA Director General released a report confirming that Iran has completed the necessary preparatory steps to start the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was agreed upon in Vienna on July 14, 2015 between the group of six intermediary countries (the UK, Germany, China, Russia, the US and France) and Iran with a contribution from Federica Mogherini, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Under the JCPOA, which the UN Security Council approved in its Resolution 2231 on July 20, 2015, the release of this report signifies the start of the JCPOA’s implementation.
Russia played the key role in bringing about the launch of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran’s nuclear programme. Thanks to Rosatom’s close cooperation with the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran, the entire amount of enriched uranium that was stipulated under the JCPOA has been removed from Iran, marking one of the most important and most difficult provisions of the Plan.
January 16 also marked the termination of UN Security Council Resolution 1696 (2006), Resolution 1737 (2006), Resolution 1747 (2007), Resolution 1803 (2008), Resolution 1835 (2008), Resolution 1929 (2010) and Resolution 2224 (2015), which are pertaining to Iran’s nuclear programme. A resolution adopted by the IAEA Board of Governors on December 15, 2015 terminated all of its previous resolutions on Iran’s nuclear programme.
Taken together, this constitutes a new critical step towards the final normalisation of the situation around Iran.
In practical terms, this means that the implementation of the JCPOA has entered its operational phase. The implementation of Iran’s long-term commitments to limit its nuclear programme under strict IAEA monitoring will enable the Agency to verify that nuclear activities in Iran are exclusively peaceful. Any disputes that may arise within the framework of the implementation of the JCPOA will be settled by a special arm of the Joint Commission, which comprises the JCPOA countries.
We hope that all of the signatories will continue to act on issues pertaining to the further implementation of their commitments under the JCPOA faithfully and responsibly. The successful implementation of the JCPOA will help strengthen the non-proliferation regime and fulfil the comprehensive tasks aimed at strengthening international and regional security, primarily in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf.
16 January 2016
