Zarif Reiterates Possibility of Iran-Sextet Final N. Deal in 6 Months
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif once again announced that Tehran and the six major world powers can reach a final, comprehensive deal on Iran’s peaceful nuclear program within a 6-month span, provided that the other side shows goodwill.
The Iranian foreign minister told reporters at a joint press conference with his Spanish counterpart in Tehran that Iran and the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) can reach an ultimate agreement to settle the West’s standoff over the Islamic Republic’s peaceful nuclear program.
“In case the other side shows goodwill and has political willpower and remains committed to the content of the Joint Plan of Action, there will be the possibility of achieving a comprehensive resolution in this very first six-month opportunity,” the Iranian top diplomat stressed.
On November 24, 2013, Iran and the Group 5+1 (also known as P5+1 or E3+3) signed an interim deal on Tehran’s nuclear case, which stipulates that over the course of six months, the parties will draw up a comprehensive nuclear deal which will lead to a lifting of the whole sanctions on Iran.
Based on the Geneva interim deal, also known as the Joint Plan of Action, which has come into effect since January 20, the world powers agreed to suspend some non-essential sanctions and to impose no new nuclear-related bans in return for Tehran's decision to suspend its 20% enrichment for a period of six months.
Elsewhere in his comments, Zarif urged the parties engaged in nuclear negotiations with Iran to “win the Iranian nation’s trust and respect their rights” in a bid to secure a final agreement.
“In that case” the minister underlined “reaching a solution, which is the existence of a peaceful nuclear program in Iran and the removal of all (anti-Iran) sanctions and removal of logical concerns about peacefulness of the program, will be quite possible in our mind.”
Iran and the six world powers are set to hold a fresh round of negotiations on Tehran’s peaceful nuclear program in the Austrian capital of Vienna later this month.
