Iranian, German Negotiators Meet in Tehran ahead of Vienna Talks


TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Seyed Abbas Araqchi met with the German representative at Iran-powers nuclear talks, Hans Dieter Lucas, on Sunday ahead of the fifth round of nuclear negotiations due to be resumed in Vienna, Austria, Monday.

Speaking after the meeting, Araqchi said Iran and Germany have urged the negotiating sides in Monday’s nuclear talks in Vienna to start drafting the text of a comprehensive deal on Tehran’s nuclear energy program.

During the meeting, Araqchi said, the two sides exchanged views on the issues raised in the previous rounds of nuclear talks.

During the past few days, Iran has held similar talks with other memebers of the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany), namely the US, France and Russia ahead of the fifth round of nuclear talks with the sextet.

On Sunday, Araqchi also briefed the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission over the latest developments regarding Iran’s nuclear energy program.

Araqchi told the Iranian lawmakers that Tehran and the Group 5+1 are determined to begin drafting the final agreement in the upcoming round of nuclear talks.

Iran and the Group 5+1 (alternatively known as the P5+1 or E3+3) inked an interim deal on Tehran’s nuclear program in Geneva last November, which came into force on January 20.

Since then, the two sides have held several rounds of talks discussing ways to iron out their differences and start drafting a final deal that would end the West’s dispute with Iran over the country’s nuclear energy program.