Negotiator: Iran Resolved to Clinch Final N. Deal before Deadline
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - A senior Iranian negotiator engaged in talks with the six major world powers on Tehran’s peaceful nuclear program underlined the country’s determination to hammer out a final, comprehensive nuclear accord within a span sooner than the agreed six-month deadline.
“We are resolved to reach the final decision (on Iran’s nuclear program) within a time span shorter than six months, which is the deadline for the first step,” Seyed Abbas Araqchi, Iran's deputy foreign minister and one of the country's top nuclear negotiators said in a television talk show.
He, however, made it clear that there exist “strenuous” issues on the agenda of negotiations between Iran and the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany), adding that the process to “obtain result and find a solution” to the West’s standoff on Tehran’s nuclear case would be “time-consuming”.
On November 24, 2013, Iran and the Group 5+1 (also known as P5+1 or E3+3) reached a six-month deal on Tehran’s peaceful nuclear program in the Swiss city of Geneva.
Based on the interim deal (the Joint Plan of Action), 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.
The deal also stipulates that over the course of six months --described as the first step-- the parties will draw up a comprehensive nuclear deal which will lead to a lifting of the whole sanctions on Iran.
Elsewhere in his comments, Araqchi stressed that Iran has chosen the correct path, which will lead the country to the end result, provided that the negotiators would be able to deal with the problems in the course of talks.
He voiced an upbeat view of the nuclear talks with the world powers, but at the same time said, “However, we have always announced that we are never too optimistic in facing the other side, we are realistic.”
The two sides have so far held several rounds of talks on Iran’s nuclear activities. They are slated to gather again in Vienna on April 7-9.
In relevant remarks on March 19, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani reiterated that Tehran seeks to reach an ultimate accord with the world powers on its peaceful nuclear program, and reasserted Tehran's determination to protect the nation’s inalienable rights.
He underlined that the country will continue holding negotiations with the world powers in a bid to clinch an ultimate, comprehensive nuclear deal, but made it clear that the Islamic Republic always takes “logic, reasoning, the nation’s legitimate rights and the whole redlines” into account to move ahead with the talks.
President Rouhani also contended that a final deal will serve the interest of the whole sides, saying, “If we reach the final agreement, it will be beneficial to all, to the region, the West, the East and Iran.”
