Merkel Says Germany and China Will Remain Committed to the JCPOA

A few hours before the meeting of the Presidents of Russia and France, one of the topics of which will be the JCPOA, the German Chancellor emphasized her country's and China's commitment to the nuclear agreement with Iran in Beijing. Angela Merkel, who is on a two-day visit to China, stated on Thursday, May 23, alongside the Prime Minister of China, that Europe, like China, will remain committed to the nuclear agreement. Meanwhile, on Thursday, the Presidents of Russia and France are set to meet in St. Petersburg for what French news agency reports describe as a 'deep and private discussion.' Besides the Syrian civil war and the situation in Ukraine, one of the most important topics of this meeting is reported to be the JCPOA. Donald Trump, the President of the United States, officially announced on May 8 his government's withdrawal from the JCPOA, the nuclear agreement with Iran, and announced the return of sanctions against Tehran. Since then, efforts by Europeans, namely Germany, France, and the UK, to 'save the JCPOA' have begun, a process that has faced ups and downs from the start, and European officials have repeatedly emphasized it. Among them, Heiko Maas, the German Foreign Minister, on Wednesday, May 22, after meeting with his American counterpart Mike Pompeo, reported ongoing disagreements between the US and Europe regarding the nuclear agreement with Iran and stated, 'I think we are far from a compromise.' It seems that the conditions set by Mr. Pompeo for the Islamic Republic in recent days have made it more difficult for the parties to this agreement. The US Secretary of State recently intensified pressure on the Islamic Republic in his first speech in this position, announcing the imposition of 'the toughest sanctions in history' against Tehran. On Monday, May 20, in his speech at the Heritage Foundation, he set 12 conditions for reaching a new nuclear agreement with Iran, which faced a negative response from Tehran. In this context, the German news agency reported on Tuesday night that the US Secretary of State is seeking to meet with his European allies about the JCPOA 'in a few weeks,' meaning in June. The aim of this meeting, according to reports, is 'to discuss a comprehensive strategy regarding Iran.' The United States, based on precedent, prefers to have the agreement of its European allies to compel Tehran to accept Mr. Pompeo's conditions. On the other hand, the issue of the JCPOA is one of the rare points of agreement between Europe and Russia, which has seen increasingly strained relations in recent years. The crises in Syria and Ukraine, accusations of Russian interference in other countries' elections, and the case of the poisoning of a former Russian spy in London are all issues that have increasingly damaged Moscow's relations with European capitals. However, Russia is not the only destination for Emmanuel Macron, the President of France. Merkel met with Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, last week in Moscow, and according to reports, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will be in Russia at the end of this week.