China, Russia, Iran reaffirm dialogue as only viable option for Iranian nuclear issue

China, Russia and Iran held a meeting in Beijing to discuss the Iranian nuclear issue on Friday, in a fresh bid to strengthen communication and pave the way for resumption of talks.

The Beijing Meeting was chaired by Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, with participation of his Russian and Iranian counterparts Ryabkov Sergey Alexeevich and Kazem Gharibabadi.

In a joint statement issued after the meeting, the three countries emphasized on the necessity of terminating all unlawful unilateral sanctions, and reiterated that political and diplomatic engagement and dialogue based on the principle of mutual respect remains the only viable and practical option.

China and Russia welcomed Iran's reiteration that its nuclear programme is exclusively for peaceful purposes, and not for development of nuclear weapons, and also welcomed Iran's commitment to full compliance with its obligations under the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and Comprehensive Safeguard Agreement, supported Iran's policy to continue cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and stressed the need to fully respect Iran's right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy as a State Party to the NPT.

Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese Foreign Minister, met with the deputy foreign ministers from Russia and Iran. Wang proposed staying committed to the framework of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) as the basis for new consensus.

"China hopes that all parties will work toward the same direction and resume dialogue and negotiation as early as possible. The United States should demonstrate political sincerity and return to talks at an early date," Wang said.

He voiced opposition to pressing for intervention by the U.N. Security Council (UNSC). Under the current situation, hasty intervention by the UNSC will not help build confidence or bridge differences among the relevant parties. Initiating the snapback mechanism would undo years of diplomatic efforts, and must be handled with caution.

The Beijing meeting was a useful effort by China, Russia and Iran in seeking to advance the settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said.

China is ready to work with other parties for a just, balanced and sustainable resolution to the Iranian nuclear issue, uphold the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, and promote international and regional peace and stability, Mao added.