Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has expressed serious concern at Iran’s recent announcement that it will gradually reduce the commitments it agreed to under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, otherwise known as the Iran Nuclear Deal.
“New Zealand was the President of the UN Security Council when the historic agreement was endorsed by the international community. The Iran Nuclear Deal showed that multilateral cooperation can provide a pathway for peace,” Mr Peters says.
“As a country with strong nuclear free credentials we have followed its progress closely, noting that Iran has to date been assessed by the International Atomic Energy Agency to be in compliance with its nuclear commitments.
“As we made clear when the US decided to withdraw from the Agreement, New Zealand believes that the Iran Nuclear Deal is better than no deal. We have also made clear our concerns about Iran’s conduct in the Middle East region.
“We continue to encourage Iran to meet its obligations and remain in compliance with the deal, and hope that other signatories, and the wider international community, will continue to take steps to support its implementation.
“New Zealand calls on all parties to show restraint and avoid steps that could undermine peace and security in the region,” Mr Peters said.
