Page 6 - aruba-today-20201222

A6 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 22 december 2020
Iran urged not to squander chance to salvage nuclear deal

BERLIN (AP) — Countries try- there must be no more tac-
ing to keep alive the 2015 tical maneuvers of the kind
deal on Iran's nuclear pro- we have seen plenty of in
gram agreed Monday to recent times — they would
"positively address" the pos- do nothing but further un-
sibility of a U.S. return to the dermine the agreement,"
accord under the incom- he added.
ing Biden administration. "The opportunity that is now
Germany's foreign minister being offered — this last
urged Iran not to waste window of opportunity —
what he called a final win- must not be squandered,"
dow of opportunity. Maas said. "We made that
Monday's virtual meeting very clear today to Iran in
of parties to the agreement particular."
— the first at the level of for- British Foreign Secretary
eign ministers in over a year Dominic Raab tweeted
— came as the deal is in that he "made it abso-
what German Foreign Min- lutely clear Iran must not
ister Heiko Maas called a implement the recently
"downward spiral" caused announced expansions to
by a mixture of strong U.S. its nuclear programme. To
pressure on Iran and Teh- Heiko Maas, German Foreign Minister, gives a press conference on the informal virtual meeting do so would undermine the
ran's violations of the ac- on the informal virtual meeting of the foreign ministers of the member states of the Vienna nuclear opportunities for progress
cord. agreement in Berlin, Germany, Monday, Dec. 21, 2020. we hope to see in 2021."
The remaining countries Associated Press The deal promises Iran
that signed the agree- economic incentives in ex-
ment with Iran — Germany, it doesn't want to do. after Monday's meeting in a joint effort," the state- change for curbs on its nu-
France, Britain, China and President-elect Joe Biden said participants in the ment said. clear program, but with the
Russia — have been trying has said he hopes to return deal, known as the Joint "We are standing at a cross- reinstatement of American
to keep it from collapsing the U.S. to the deal, which Comprehensive Plan of Ac- roads today," Germany's sanctions, the other nations
after the unilateral with- was negotiated while he tion or JCPOA, "re-empha- Maas told reporters in Ber- have been struggling to
drawal of the United States was vice president. sized their commitment to lin, adding that the deal's provide Iran the assistance
in 2018. Complicating that, Iran is preserve the agreement" survival or otherwise will be it seeks.
The three European powers now in violation of most and discussed the fact that determined in the coming Iranian Foreign Minister Mo-
have expressed hope that major restrictions set out in "full and effective imple- weeks and months. hammad Javad Zarif said
with the change of admin- the agreement, including mentation of the JCPOA by The European powers after Monday's meeting
istrations in Washington, the the amount of enriched all remains crucial." stressed Monday that "just that Iran would "rapidly re-
U.S. could be brought back uranium it is allowed to "Ministers acknowledged a commitment" to the ac- verse" its violations of the
into the deal, whose goal stockpile and the purity to the prospect of a return of cord on everyone's part is nuclear accord when the
is to prevent Iran from de- which it is allowed to enrich the U.S. to the JCPOA and not enough, Maas said. United States and the three
veloping a nuclear bomb uranium. underlined their readiness "To make possible a rap- European powers "perform
— something Tehran insists A joint statement released to positively address this prochement under Biden, their duties." q

Kushner to lead maiden flight from Israel to Morocco

The flight, set to depart matters and I believe to- come under some criticism,
Tuesday, marks the fourth gether we've achieved both for including generous
diplomatic pact brokered some historic results," said U.S. weapons sales to the
by the Trump administra- Kushner, who is President Arab countries and for side-
tion between Israel and an Donald Trump's son-in-law. lining the Palestinian issue.
Arab country. The agree- "As this new Middle East The Palestinians severed
ments, known as "the moves forward, I hope that ties with the U.S. after
Abraham Accords," have all countries will focus on Trump recognized the con-
reshaped the Middle East, pursuing common interests tested city of Jerusalem as
reflecting a shared con- for the benefits of their citi- Israel's capital in late 2017.
cern among many Arab zens, instead of being held The Palestinians rejected
countries and Israel about back by stale thinking and Trump's Mideast plan early
Iran and a departure from old conflicts," he added. this year, paving the way
the traditional focus on the Since August, the U.S. has for the U.S. to turn its focus
Palestinian struggle for in- brokered agreements to to Israel's separate agree-
U.S. White House Senior Adviser Jared Kushner wears a cloth dependence. establish diplomatic ties ments with Arab countries.
mask at the U.S. embassy during an event where U.S. Ambassa-
dor to Israel David Friedman, unveiled a plaque, designating it At a news conference with between Israel and the Netanyahu, who has en-
as the "Kushner Courtyard," in his honor, Monday, Dec. 21, 2020. Israeli Prime Minister Ben- United Arab Emirates, Bah- joyed close relations with
Associated Press jamin Netanyahu, Kushner rain, Sudan and Morocco. Trump, presented Kushner
said the agreements re- Netanyahu praised Kush- with a plaque of appre-
JERUSALEM (AP) — Senior direct flight to Morocco flected "common sense" ner for showing "how wrong ciation. Earlier on Monday,
White House adviser Jared to celebrate the U.S.-bro- and the administration's these naysayers were," and he also joined Kushner at
Kushner announced Mon- kered agreement estab- new approach to the Mid- said Israel is "deeply indebt- a tree planting at the new
day that he will join an Is- lishing ties between the two dle East. ed" to the Trump adminis- "Kushner Garden of Peace"
raeli delegation on the first Mideast countries. "The results are really what tration. The accords have in a Jerusalem forest.q