Japan backs Iran nuclear deal, urges constructive efforts by Tehran

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday reiterated Japan's support for the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement in a meeting with President Ebrahim Raisi, calling for the Middle Eastern country to make constructive efforts on the issue.

Kishida and Raisi confirmed that Tokyo and Tehran will expand cooperation based on the tradition of friendship between the two nations during their talks on the sidelines of the general debate session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.

The two leaders met for the first time since September last year, when they participated in the annual United Nations event.

In 2015, Iran agreed with six major powers -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States -- to curb its nuclear programs in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.

Negotiations have been at a stalemate, however, since then U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew his nation from the accord in 2018, the year after he took office. In return, Iran violated some of the agreement's restrictions.

Japan has shown its support for the pact in hopes of bringing stability to the Middle East, a region the Asian country relies on for oil imports.

During their meeting, Kishida also sought Iran's understanding over Japan's release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, crippled by a powerful earthquake and ensuing tsunami in 2011, the ministry said.

==Kyodo