MOSCOW (TASS) — States members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) support the international effort to preserve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran’s nuclear program and will render efficient assistance to it, CSTO foreign ministers said in a joint statement on Wednesday.

Еру joint meeting of the CSTO Foreign Ministers’ Council, CSTO Defence Ministers” Council, and CSTO Security Council Secretaries” Committee in Bishkek.
(© Vitaly Belousov / POOL / TASS)

The document, posted on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s official website, states:

[The ministers] favour its further step-by-step implementation on the basis of commitment by all parties involved to the obligations they had undertaken and on the condition that the carefully calibrated balance of interests, which forms the basis of the comprehensive agreements, is observed.

The ministers also “support the efforts aimed at de-escalation around JCPOA and express firm resolution to render efficient assistance to them in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2231.”

The future of the Iranian nuclear deal was called in question after the United States’ unilateral pullout on May 8, 2018 and Washington’s unilateral oil export sanctions against Tehran. Iran argues that all other participants, Europeans in the first place, ignore some of their own obligations in the economic sphere, thus making the deal in its current shape senseless.

On November 6, Iran has started the process of injecting gas into centrifuges at its underground Fordow facility, which de-facto meant the start of the fourth stage of Iran’s reduction of its nuclear commitments.

Persian Gulf security concept
CSTO ministers also noted the huge potential of Russia’s proposed concept of collective Persian Gulf security.

In the statement, published by the Russian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday, the ministers expressed their concern by the current situation in the Persian Gulf, which is “prone to a large-scale military conflict entailing most negative consequences for all countries involved, as well as for regional and international security.”

“The ministers note the significant positive potential of Russia’s Concept of ensuring collective security in the Persian Gulf zone”, the statement says. “[The ministers] call upon all sides to show restraint and take measures to defuse tensions and restore trust.”

On July 23, the Russian Foreign Ministry revealed its concept of collective security in the Persian Gulf region. The concept includes forming an initiative group to organize an international conference on security and cooperation in the Persian Gulf area, which would lead to the establishment of an organization for security and cooperation in the region. Besides, Moscow offered to establish demilitarized zones in the region, abandon permanent deployment of military from non-regional states and establish military hotlines.