Swiss president: JCPOA important for international community
October 01, 2018 - The Iran nuclear deal is of importance to the international community, said Swiss President Alain Berset.
“We maintain that the existence of an agreement is better than its non-existence,” he told IRNA on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 73) in New York.
Also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Iran nuclear deal was signed between Iran and P5+1 in July 2015 and went into force in January 2016.
It is of immense importance that through this international treaty, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) preserve its assessing, inspecting and monitoring capabilities, Berset said.
President Berset, who had met Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on the sidelines of the UNGA 73, noted that, “In June, Iran’s president visited Switzerland. We talked about the [preservation of the] JCPOA. Switzerland maintains that this is a very important agreement. Probably in the future, it can undergo changes.”
Turning to his country’s role as the interests sections of the US in Iran, the Swiss president said Switzerland has always been committed to holding dialogue and has attempted to narrow the gap in the viewpoints held by the two sides.
Commenting on the impact of the unilateral US sanctions against Iran on Tehran-Bern relations, particularly those in the field of economy, he noted that, “We should [wait and] see how the US sanctions [to kick] in November will impact our companies in Switzerland.”
He expressed concern over the fact that at this stage, Swiss companies are in a state of uncertainty.
Under the UN Security Council Resolution 2231, endorsing the JCPOA on Iran’s peaceful nuclear program, the nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Tehran were removed entirely. As per the agreement, the US also suspended its secondary sanctions on the Middle Eastern state.
On May 8, 2018, however, US President Donald Trump announced Washington’s withdrawal from the JCPOA and his plan to reimpose all the previously suspended sanctions on Iran.
Voicing disapproval at US decision, Iran, Russia, China, France and the UK, accompanied by the European Union, stressed that they will remain in the deal and, by activating special mechanisms, will guarantee Tehran’s interests within the framework of the JCPOA.