Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed Beijing’s support for reviving negotiations on the Iran nuclear deal.
His comments came during a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir Abdollahian.
According to a statement published on the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s website, Wang said Beijing “understands Iran’s legitimate position of safeguarding its national interests on the nuclear issue and supports the resumption of negotiations to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).”
The statement added that China was willing to work with Iran and other parties to advance the negotiations in a direction conducive to regional peace and stability.
Western political circles are closely monitoring any statements issued by Iran, China and Russia about developments in the talks aimed at reviving the 2015 agreement, which limits Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for easing international sanctions, according to Bloomberg News.
Nuclear negotiations have been frozen since the election of Ebrahim Raisi to the Iranian presidency in June, but efforts were resumed last week to find means to revive indirect talks between Iran and the US in Vienna.
Meanwhile, European Union Foreign Minister Josep Borrell expressed his readiness to meet with Iranian officials in Brussels.
“I know that the Iranians want to have some kind of previous talks with me as coordinator and with some members of the board of the JCPOA,” Borrell told journalists during a visit to Washington.
“I cannot tell you a precise date. I am ready to receive them, if needed,” he added.
At the conclusion of his visit to the US, Borrell said he refused the adoption of alternative plans discussed by Washington or other military options that Israel suggested this week to face Iran’s obstruction of diplomatic efforts to save the 2015 nuclear agreement.
On Friday, France called on Iran to end all its violations of “unprecedented gravity” of the international agreement.
“Iran must urgently resume its full and entire cooperation with the IAEA and end all the activities of unprecedented gravity that it is pursuing in violation of the JCPOA,” French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said.