UN envoy calls for US to rejoin Iran nuclear deal

A Chinese envoy to the United Nations on Tuesday called on participating countries to preserve their commitments to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known as the Iran nuclear deal, and urged the United States to return to it without conditions.

The JCPOA is an important achievement of multilateral diplomacy, China's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Geng Shuang told ambassadors at a Security Council briefing on non-proliferation.

To preserve it is to uphold multilateralism, maintain peace and stability in the Middle East, safeguard the international nuclear non-proliferation regime and the international order underpinned by international law, he stressed.

The ambassador said the US' unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA, its continued exertion of maximum pressure on Iran, and its undermining of parties' efforts to uphold the agreement all made up the root causes of the current predicament of the Iranian nuclear issue.

The JCPOA was signed in July 2015 between Iran and six world powers: Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the US.

The deal was endorsed by UN Security Council Resolution 2231. It gave Iran sanctions relief in return for reduced nuclear development activities.

On May 8, 2018, the US announced its withdrawal from the deal and subsequently reimposed sanctions on Iran, despite objections from the international community.

In August, the 15-member Security Council, with the exception of the Dominican Republic, blocked a bid by the US to extend a conventional arms embargo on Iran.

"This represents a resounding rejection of bullying by fairness and justice, unilateralism by multilateralism. It reflects vividly the support of the international community for justice and multilateralism," Geng said.

He pointed to a meeting Monday attended by the foreign ministers of Iran, China, France, Germany, Russia and the UK, which reaffirmed the countries' commitment to the JCPOA and acknowledged the prospect of a US return to the treaty.

"The foreign ministers' meeting has sent a positive and strong message to the world. All parties should seize the opportunity to speed up engagement and consultations, strengthen diplomatic efforts and move the JCPOA back on the right track as soon as possible," the envoy said.

"The most urgent task at the moment is for the US to mend its way, rejoin the agreement unconditionally at an early date and return to full compliance," he added.

China is opposed to reopening negotiations on JCPOA, which will create new obstacles and create new complications, Geng said.

He reiterated China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi's proposal in an October ministerial session of the Security Council to build a multilateral dialogue platform in the Gulf region to resolve regional security issues.

China is willing to link the Chinese initiative with similar ones from Russia and others, to learn from each other and form synergies, he said.

"Council members and regional countries can use this as a basis, uphold good faith, earnestly engage in dialogue and discussion, gradually accumulate momentum, so as to strive to reach a consensus that addresses the legitimate concerns of all parties and responds to the expectations of the international community," he said.

Tuesday's meeting represents the last meeting of the year for Security Council members before 2020 ends. It also marks the departure of non-permanent members Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Germany, Indonesia and South Africa, whose two-year terms end Dec 31.

In his address, Germany's Permanent Representative to the UN Christoph Heusgen, who plans to retire after 40 years of diplomatic service, appealed to China to free two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor.

"Let me end my tenure in the Security Council by appealing to my Chinese colleagues to ask Beijing for the release of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. Christmas is the right moment for such a gesture," Heusgen said.

Chinese authorities detained Kovrig and Spavor on the grounds that they were suspected of crimes against China’s national security.

Geng said Heusgen's statement was irrelevant to the theme of Tuesday's meeting and represented "a far cry from the facts".

"In his last statement, he in such a malicious manner, launched attacks against other members of the council. He abused the platform of the Security Council in an attempt to poison the working atmosphere of the council," the envoy said.

"In my last statement, I did bid him farewell, as he is leaving the council; (it was) pretty much out of courtesy and of course in the diplomatic manner," Geng said.

"Now, I wish to say something out of the bottom of my heart. Good riddance, Ambassador Heusgen ... farewell. I was hoping that the council in your absence in the year 2021 will be in a better position to fulfill the responsibilities or mandate for maintaining international peace and security," he added.

Geng stressed that China is a country of rules of law.

"Anyone, if he is to be found to be in violation of China's laws, will be met with punishments. The Chinese legal institutions have been dealing with cases in accordance with laws and the rights of interest of the persons concerned have been guaranteed," he said.