Slovakia Concerned about US Withdrawal from Iran Nuclear Deal

Slovakia Concerned about US Withdrawal from Iran Nuclear Deal

Bratislava, May 9 (TASR) – Slovakia’s Foreign and European Affairs Ministry on Wednesday expressed its concerns about the United States’ decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal and reintroduce sanctions against the country.

Slovakia will coordinate its further actions with other EU-member countries, with the aim of preserving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), said ministry spokesman Peter Susko.

“We still believe that the JCPOA confirms that international diplomacy efforts to resolve security challenges concerning the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction have proven to be effective and that the deal is continuing to meet its purpose of securing the purely peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme,” said Susko, adding that the International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly acknowledged that Iran has been meeting its nuclear commitments.

Doubts concerning the effectiveness of the deal were among the reasons for US President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from it. He stated that the nuclear agreement has never brought and will never bring peace.

Korcok: Iran Nuclear Deal Should Continue Even without USA

The only realistic response to the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal is calling on all other parties to remain committed to it, Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Ministry State Secretary Ivan Korcok said on Wednesday.

“We’re also calling on Iran to refrain from immediate steps in reaction to the USA, while I believe that this deal will also meet its purpose to a certain extent even without the USA,” said Korcok, describing the deal as effective so far and pointing to it as the result of 12 years of effort preceding its 2015 signing.

According to Korcok, the US move also has wider implications. “We know well that there’s an attempt to make the Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons,” said Korcok.

“We must admit that it is, unfortunately, another moment in a substantial issue in which the EU and USA are strategic partners and hold different opinions. Nonetheless, the United States remains our strategic partner and we must speak even more to each other,” said Korcok.

Main Slovak Opposition Parties Criticise US Widrawal from Iran Deal

Main Slovak Opposition parties Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) and OLaNO on Wednesday echoed the Foreign and European Affairs Ministry’s regret about the US decision to abandon the Iran nuclear deal on Tuesday.

“Economic sanctions will provoke Iran to renew the development of a nuclear bomb, while weapons and hatred will take the place of dialogue,” reads a statement signed by MP Martin Klus, and MEP and party head Richard Sulik.

Meanwhile, OLaNO MP Veronika Remisova noted that sanctions could damage Slovak companies, which have signed, as of recently, deals worth €100 million in Iran.

“It’s likely that they’ll be forced to cut their business contacts with Iran due to sanctions, or their business will become extremely complicated,” warned Remisova.