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Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday (local time) said he once again presented US President Donald Trump with the 2010 nuclear agreement brokered by Brazil and Turkey with Iran, arguing that the deal had demonstrated a viable diplomatic path for Tehran's nuclear programme.
Speaking during a press conference in Washington following his meeting with the US President, Lula said it was the second time he had personally handed Trump the agreement negotiated in 2010, which sought to address international concerns regarding Iran's nuclear activities. "I handed it to Trump once again. For the second time, I presented him with the agreement that Brazil and Turkey brokered in 2010 regarding the Iranian nuclear issue," Lula said. The Brazilian President stated that Brazil and Turkey had succeeded in convincing Iran to accept a revised understanding concerning the non-production of nuclear weapons, while expressing his disappointment over the international response that followed and questioned why the administration of former US President Barack Obama, along with the European Union and other global powers, later intensified pressure on Iran. "We--Brazil and Turkey--managed to convince Iran to accept a revised agreement regarding the non-production of nuclear weapons. I handed President Trump the agreement we reached in 2010. Regrettably, when we finalised that agreement, I do not know why Obama and the European Union--and the rest of the world--decided to ramp up the pressure on Iran," the Brazilian President added. He suggested that the diplomatic effort may not have received adequate recognition because it was led by developing nations rather than traditional global powers. "Possibly because the parties who had brokered the deal were 'Third World' nations -- countries that do not belong to the elite club of global powers," Lula remarked. This came after Trump held a "very well" meeting with the Brazilian President at the White House, where the two leaders discussed a range of bilateral issues, including trade and tariffs. In a post on Truth Social following the meeting, Trump said that the two leaders discussed trade and tariffs. He further stated that officials from both sides will soon hold discussions on key aspects of the bilateral agenda, adding that further meetings are expected to take place in the coming months as needed. According to the Joint Declaration of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, Iran and Brazil in 2010, the statement was aimed at easing international tensions over Iran's nuclear programme and creating conditions for broader diplomatic engagement. The declaration reaffirmed the parties' commitment to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) while recognising Iran's right to pursue peaceful nuclear energy, including uranium enrichment, under the treaty framework. Under the agreement, Iran committed to depositing 1,200 kilograms of low-enriched uranium (LEU) in Turkey. The uranium would remain Iranian property while being monitored by Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). In return, the so-called "Vienna Group" -- comprising the United States, Russia, France and the IAEA -- was expected to provide 120 kilograms of nuclear fuel for the Tehran Research Reactor within one year. The declaration stated that Iran would formally notify the IAEA of its acceptance within seven days, after which technical details would be negotiated through a written agreement between Iran and the Vienna Group. The agreement also included a provision allowing Turkey to swiftly return Iran's uranium if the terms were not honoured. Despite the diplomatic breakthrough, the initiative ultimately failed to gain sustained backing from major Western powers, and international pressure and sanctions on Iran continued in the years that followed. (ANI)
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