Moscow, May 23 (RHC)-- The leaders of Russia, France and Germany have underscored the need to preserve the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, stressing their commitment to boosting trade ties with the Islamic Republic despite Washington's unilateral withdrawal from the accord.

The Kremlin said in a statement that Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron had voiced support for the agreement during a phone conversation early this week.

“During the discussion of the situation around the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on the Iranian nuclear program, the importance of preserving this agreement, which is a key factor in maintaining international stability and security, was noted.  Russia, France and Germany reaffirmed their commitment to further mutually beneficial cooperation with Iran in trade and economy,” the statement read.

Merkel’s office also confirmed that the trio had “underlined the need to persuade Iran to remain in the nuclear agreement, which they agreed to maintain.”

Last year, Trump unilaterally pulled his country out of the JCPOA and unleashed the "toughest ever" sanctions against Tehran despite international objections.  Since then, Washington has been trying to coerce the European parties into following its lead and scrapping the multilateral accord.

The cosignatories have vowed efforts to compensate for Washington’s absence and make sure that Iran will be able to collect its economic dividends of the deal.  Tehran, however, complains that they have failed to take practical measures to fulfill their end of the bargain despite Iran’s full compliance.

On May 8, the first anniversary of Washington’s exit from the JCPOA, Iran announced its decision to stop exporting excess uranium and heavy water for a 60-day period, during which the remaining signatories would have to honor their promises and ensure that Iran is no more deprived of the economic benefits it was promised under the agreement.