China, Russia, Iran calls for stopping illegal unilateral sanctions

Beijing: China, Russia and Iran jointly called for putting an end to all illegal unilateral sanctions, after senior diplomats from the three countries gathered in Beijing on Friday for talks on Tehran’s nuclear issues.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu chaired the meeting, which was also attended by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov Sergey Alexeevich and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, CGTN reported.

The parties concerned should strive to eliminate the root causes of the current situation and reject both the pressure of sanctions and the threat of force, Ma said at a press briefing following the meeting.

According to Ma, the three countries all stressed the importance of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorses the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.

The three nations called on all relevant parties to refrain from actions that could escalate the situation and to work together to foster a favorable atmosphere and conditions for diplomatic efforts.

Ma also told reporters that China will uphold an objective and impartial stance, actively promote peace and dialogue, and continue to play a constructive role in advancing a political solution to the Iranian nuclear issue.

Iran signed the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with six world powers in July 2015, agreeing to restrictions on its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.

However, during Trump’s first term, the United States withdrew from the agreement in May 2018 and reinstated sanctions, prompting Iran to scale back some of its nuclear commitments.