TEHRAN – All participants at a meeting of the Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in Vienna on Tuesday promised continued adherence to the nuclear deal and stressed the need to ensure its full and effective implementation, European External Action Service said in a statement on Tuesday.

The Joint Commission, which was held on April 25 in Vienna, was attended by the 5+1 group (China, France, Germany, Russia, Britain and the U.S.) as well as Iran at the level of political directors/deputy foreign ministers.

This was the 5th meeting of the Joint Commission since JCPOA Implementation Day. Under the terms of the JCPOA, the Joint Commission is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the nuclear deal.

The meeting was chaired, on behalf of EU High Representative Mogherini, by EEAS Secretary General Helga Schmid.

It provided the opportunity to address the implementation of the JCPOA with regard to nuclear and sanctions-related commitments.

During the meeting, participants discussed the importance of implementation of Annex III of the JCPOA on civil nuclear cooperation, and welcomed in this context the recent EU-Iran high-level seminar on international nuclear cooperation.

They also welcomed the important progress made on the Arak modernization project, where Chinese and Iranian companies signed the first consultancy services contract on Sunday, April 23, in Vienna.

Prior to the meeting, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that the Islamic Republic has lived up to its commitments under the JCPOA.

“As the entire world knows and constant reports by the agency have confirmed, Iran has always been committed to its obligations and carefully implemented the nuclear deal,” he said on Monday, after a meeting with IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano in Vienna.

Araqchi, who on the part of Iran is tasked to monitor the implementation of the 2015 nuclear agreement between Tehran and six world powers, also said that the other side, however, has not fully complied with its obligations.

MH/PA