Published 08:14 IST, February 20th 2021
'US must address Iran's destabilizing activities in Middle East': President Joe Biden
US president Joe Biden said that his administration was “ready to work” and reengage in negotiations with the UN Security Council on Iran’s nuclear framework
Addressing a Munich Security Conference, US President Joe Biden on Friday said that the US must work in collaboration with European allies, and global partners to curb Iran's "destabilizing" nuclear ambitions. In his first direct address on Iran’s nuclear policies, the US President stressed that his administration was “ready to work” and reengage in negotiations with the UN Security Council on Iran’s nuclear framework, The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). "We must address Iran's destabilizing activities across the Middle East. We will work with our European and other partners as we proceed," Biden told Munich Security Conference.
Shortly following Biden’s address, the US White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters that the United States had no plans to retrieve from the ‘snapback’ sanctions imposed on Iran. Psaki made remarks as Biden boarded Air Force One for the Munich conference with his European allies. Meanwhile, the US State Department spokesperson Ned Price in a statement said that the US was prepared to accept an invite from the European Union's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy to attend a meeting of the countries that signed the 2015 nuclear agreement — Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China, and Iran — "to discuss a diplomatic way forward on Iran's nuclear program,” Price’s statement was followed by a tweet from EU’s deputy secretary-general for political affairs, Enrique Mora, who called the Iran accord at ‘critical point’, and invited the participant countries for "an informal meeting to discuss the way forward."
Watch LIVE as @POTUS #Biden, Chancellor #Merkel, President @EmmanuelMacron, and other world leaders address the #MSC2021 Special Edition today. @BR24 https://t.co/c9GRC8pROv
— Munich Security Conference (@MunSecConf) February 19, 2021
US, EU, Germany France to hold meeting
Earlier, the EU, the US, France, and Germany diplomats said that they would hold talks to discuss the revival of Iran’s nuclear deal, ahead of the deadline set up by Iran that could hamper the commitments to preserve the JCPOA. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told a presser that he will host his German and British counterparts in Paris, while the US secretary of state said he will join French diplomats on a video conference, France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced in a statement. The meeting's announcement came ahead of the UN nuclear watchdog chief’s travel to Iran planned for this weekend to find a “mutually acceptable solution” to the Iran nuclear deal.
Updated 08:14 IST, February 20th 2021