Iran, Sextet Hold Fresh N. Talks in Vienna
VIENNA (Tasnim) - Representatives from Iran and the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) started a new round of nuclear talks in the Austrian capital minutes ago, trying to narrow divisions to clinch an ultimate deal on Tehran’s peaceful nuclear program.
Austria's capital, home to one of the four headquarters of the United Nations, once again brought nuclear negotiators representing Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, the US, Britain, China, France and Germany) together for another round of high-profile nuclear talks.
The talks kicked off at 9:30 a.m. local time (12:00 Tehran time) here in Vienna.
The two sides have already held several rounds of talks with the aim of putting an end to the decade-long standoff on the Islamic Republic’s peaceful nuclear case.
Iran and the G5+1 (alternatively known as P5+1 or E3+3) have on November 24, 2013, clinched an interim six-month deal on Tehran’s nuclear program in the Swiss city of Geneva.
The breakthrough deal (the Joint Plan of Action), which has come into effect since January 20, stipulates that over the course of six months, Iran and the six countries will draw up a comprehensive nuclear deal which will lead to a lifting of the whole sanctions on Iran.
In the ongoing negotiations, Iranians are led by the country’s top negotiator and foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, whereas the European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton liaises with Iran on behalf of the six countries, like the past.
Zarif and Ashton attended the opening of the talks today, as the negotiations started officially with the two top directors presiding over the meeting.
Thereafter, the negotiating delegations began handling the meeting at the level of deputies foreign minister from the seven nations.
Earlier on Monday night, Zarif and Ashton held a bilateral meeting to plan a “framework” for the course of talks.
“We studied some details and the procedure for the job, and had a good discussion,” Zarif told reporters after the dinner banquet with EU’s Ashton.
He noted that the negotiators are going to review the whole issues once again, because some of the topics have not been ever mooted in discussions, such as the methods for inspections.
In relevant comments upon his arrival in Vienna earlier on Monday, Zarif had pointed to the main topics due to be raised in the talks, saying the two sides will exchange views on the whole remaining issues to narrow differences in the forthcoming round of the negotiations.
According to the Iranian negotiator, this round of talks will be the “final stage” in discussing the topics and issues on the ground.
"This will not be the meeting for drafting (the final agreement). The drafting meeting will start in our meeting in May, when we meet again here in Vienna in about a month time," Zarif explained.
He also expressed the hope that the negotiating parties could hammer out a final, comprehensive nuclear accord until the end of the agreed six-month deadline.
However, Zarif added, meeting that objective would entail making a strenuous effort and important decisions.
"This time, we wrap up our discussions of the issues that are pending, and once we finish this, hopefully by Wednesday, then when we come back here in May, we will start drafting (the final agreement)," he noted.
The negotiating parties seem to have set an agenda for discussing the remaining issues in the forthcoming talks to prepare the ground for drafting the final long-expected deal no later than May.
