MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2020) UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron have discussed on Sunday the crisis in Libya and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), having acknowledged the need to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, the Downing Street said in a press release.
Johnson and Macron spoke on the sidelines of an international conference on Libya underway in Berlin. Aside from the two Libyan rival administrations, the conference is attended by a number of regional states, the five UN Security Council permanent members, Germany, Turkey, the United Nations, the European Union, and the African Union.
"The Prime Minister and President discussed the ongoing conflict in Libya. The Prime Minister stressed the need to bring an end to the fighting and for all parties to support peace talks to determine a way forward for the Libyan people," the press release read.
According to the text, Johnson and Macron have also discussed the JCPOA on Iran's nuclear development � a topical issue on the agenda of both states given that they, along with Germany, voiced intention to trigger the deal's dispute resolution mechanism this past Tuesday.
"On Iran, the leaders reiterated their commitment to the JCPoA and also acknowledged the need to define a long-term framework to prevent Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon. They agreed on the importance of de-escalation and of working with international partners to find a diplomatic way through the current tensions," the press release read.
On January 5, Iran announced that it would abandon the remaining portion of commitments under the JCPOA, specifically on acceptable levels of uranium enrichment. The nuclear deal was signed in 2015 by Iran, China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union. In 2018, the US unilaterally withdrew and hit Iran with sanctions despite pleas from other signatories to save the accord.
