Framework Agreement on Iran’s Nuclear Program
FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT ON IRAN’S NUCLEAR PROGRAM The tensions between Iran and Western countries, especially with US started to rise in 2003. Since then, Western countries and US have tried to dismantle the Iran’s nuclear program (INP), insisting that in the framework of the INP, Tehran could conduct studies on nuclear weapons. Despite the fact that Iranian highlevel authorities officially denied any activity in the nuclear weapon design, the Western countries and US initiated the nuclear talks in P5+1 Group (US, UK, France, Germany, Russia, China and Germany).
From the beginning of the negotiations, the US and the EU have coordinated their policies on the Iran’s nuclear pro- gram issue. In this sense, Western countries and the US established common goals for dismantling of the INP. Firstly, Europe and the US wanted to force Iran to stop any uranium enrichment activities, so the world community could be sure that the INP would be used only for peaceful purposes. Secondly, the US and Europe sought for providing full access for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to Iranian nuclear facilities, especially, to the heavy water research reactor in Arak and uranium enrichment facility center in Fordo. Finally, by Washington and Brussels, Iran was obliged to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty additional protocol, which would guarantee that Iran would never produce weapons of mass destruction by assuming obligations within the framework of the international law. On the other hand, Iran insisted on mentioning its right to provide the uranium enrichment activities and conduct nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
Since the parties were not successful in reaching mutual beneficial agreement on the INP issue for a long period of time, western members of the P5+1 Group have implemented economic sanctions against Iran. International sanctions regime established by the Western countries and the US heavily affected both Iranian financial infrastructure (especially, after Iran was removed from the SWIFT system) and trade balance of the country, which was suffering from the lack of investments after the ban on imports of crude oil, petroleum products and natural gas.
After years of high-ranked inflation, lack of the budget funds and substantial reduction of public spending for social programs, Iranian government has to come up with a new way of solution to the economic problems caused by the sanctions and make concessions on the nuclear program. Therefore, in November 2014, the P5+1 Group and Iran have agreed on an overarching political framework agreement, which would be signed till March 31, 2015. They have also announced that in order to prepare the final agreement and finalize all technical details, the nuclear talks would be extended till June 30, 2015. Despite the delay, the parties managed to reach the framework agreement on April 2, 2015, after diligent negotiations in Lausanne, Switzerland. In the political framework agreement, the parties have agreed on the following:
• Iran will reduce the number of centrifuges by 1.5 times. In this sense, the amount will reduce from 19000 to 6104 but over the next 10 years only 5060 of these will be allowed to enrich uranium; • Iran will not enrich uranium more than 3,67% percent for 15 years;
• Iran will not build a new enrichment facility for 15 years. • Iran’s breakout timeline (time that it would take for Iran to acquire adequate fissile material for one weapon) will be extended from 2-3 months to at least one year and this duration will be relevant for 10 years.
• Iran’s Fordo facility center will not en- rich uranium at least for 15 years and also will be transformed into a research center and will work for peaceful purposes. • Iran will carry out uranium enrichment activities only at Natanz and remove 1000 pieces of second generation centrifuges at Natanz and hold these centrifuges under the supervision of the IAEA for 10 years.
• The IAEA will have regular access to all nuclear facilities in Iran including Natanz and Fordo.
• Iran will cut its stockpile of about 22,000 pounds of low-enriched uranium to 661 pounds for the next 15 years.
• Iran has agreed to re-design and rebuild a heavy water research reactor in Arak, based on a project agreed by the P5+1 Group, which will not produce weapons grade plutonium, and which will support peaceful nuclear research and radioisotope production.
• In case of violating any provision, sanctions will be re-engaged immediately. The news about the agreement have positive impact on the Iranian citizens. Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif stated that the greatest achievement of Iran’s uranium enrichment program is officially recognized and it was the first step in nuclear deal. Mohammad Javad Zarif also emphasized that another important point of the agreement was that the world countries have been convinced that Iran does not produce nuclear weapons. The agreement will help the Iranian economy to be positively affected and to grow.
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Heads of the Kazakh and Russian Defense Ministers signed an agreement, according to which Russia would reduce the leased territories of its military object in Kazakhstan by 1.6 million hectares. The parties agreed that unused territories of the Sary-Shagan anti-ballistic missile testing range, Taysoygan and Zhamantau testing ranges would be transferred back to Kazakhstan.
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x The press-service of the Southern Military District of Russia announced that Russia’s Caspian flotilla would hold a joint exercise with the naval forces of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. It was also stated that the crews of missile and gun boats “Grad Sviya- zhsk”, “Uglich”, “Volgodonsk” and “Makhachkala”, as well as support ships, were already in the process of preparations for patrol mission in the Caspian Sea.
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sites located in the Kazakh sector of the Caspian Sea” in 2015.
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Tajik authorities have banned the hajj, the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, for citizens younger than 35.
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Prepared Lidiya Parkhomchik, Hayal Ayca Simsek, Prepared by by Lidiya Parkhomchik, Hayal Ayca Simsek, Zhuldyz Kanapıyanova, Zhuldyz Kanapiyanova.
Kanat Makhanov Meiramgul Issayeva
