Putin, Macron call for implementing Iran n-deal

Moscow, May 1: Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron have agreed that efforts should be made to preserve and strictly implement the Iran nuclear deal, the Kremlin said.

During the telephonic conversation on Monday, Macron briefed Putin about his recent state visit to the US, especially about his discussions with US President Donald Trump about the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or more commonly known as the Iran nuclear programme, the Kremlin said in a statement, Xinhua reported. During his visit in Washington, Macron proposed to make the current Iran nuclear deal more comprehensive in an effort to salvage the agreement which Trump has long threatened to abandon.

Trump said Macron's suggestion was "a pretty good idea," yet remained unsure "whether or not it will be possible to do a new deal with solid foundations." Trump is expected to decide whether to leave the JCPOA on May 12. The JCPOA was reached in Vienna on July 14, 2015 between Iran, the European Union,the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council including China, France, Russia, the UK and the US, as well as Germany. Under the agreement, Iran agreed to eliminate its stockpile of medium-enriched uranium and limit its enrichment activities in exchange for the lifting of nuclear-related sanctions by the US, the EU and the UN Security Council.  Extending support, Britain has also backed the ‘vitally important’ nuclear deal with Iran, after Israel and the US accused the Iranians of pursuing atomic weapons. (IANS)