Chinese delegation to Vienna for Iran nuclear deal talks

Lu Kang, Spokesman of China's Ministry of Foreign Affiars (Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affiars of the People's Republic of China)

A Chinese delegation will attend a meeting to revive the Iran nuclear deal to be held Friday in Vienna, Austria, a China foreign ministry spokesman said Monday.

China will keep its dedication to maintaining and practicing the Iranian comprehensive nuclear deal, or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Lu Kang said at a daily briefing.

As the coordinator of the deal, the EU is arranging for Iran, China, Russia, France, Germany and the UK to hold a meeting to discuss next steps, Lu said.

Wang Qun, director-general of the foreign ministry's department of arms control, will lead the Chinese delegation.

"We want to solve all the problems that are impeding normal trade in oil," Miguel Arias Canete, European Commissioner for energy and climate was quoted by Reuters as saying on Saturday. "We have to preserve this agreement so we don't have to negotiate a new one."

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Sunday that the "EU should take further practical steps to continue economic cooperation with Iran and boost investments in the country," the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Hopes were high in the EU to retain the achievements of the deal, he said.

Iran, the US, the UK, France, Russia, China and Germany reached the historic accord in July 2015, Xinhua said, according to which Iran would restrain its nuclear plans and enjoy the rights of peacefully using nuclear power.